NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
III Mil II
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^—-History of— J*
s
THE 133d REGIMENT, O. V. L
And incidents connected with its service
during the
"WAR OF THE REBELLION."
f£& %2& t^* t^*
By the Historian of the Association
of its survivors
S. M. SHERMAN, M. D.
COLUMBUS, O.,
CHAMPLIN PRINTING CO.
H. C. * HP. Ward, Prop'rs.
1896.
THE
NEW~ ORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
^Astor, Lenox and Tiiden,
Foundations.
JS99_
13146
PREFACE
To my Comrades of the 133d Regt., 0. V. I.:
In presenting this little history of our share in the "War
for the Union, " I am aware how imperfect it is, but you will
remember that nearly thirty-two years have passed since our
service was rendered, and that this fact and that of our
comrades being so widely scattered, has made it difficult to
gather data.
Many items of interest could have been contributed by
the comrades had it been urged upon them by personal
interview, but business cares have left me scant time for
this labor of love.
The memory of our Colonel has been a never failing
source of information.
I also beg leave to acknowledge aid from Comrades C. N.
Bancroft, John C. Ender, Rev. H. B. Westervelt, Lucius
Smith, R. E. Sheldon, F. B. Dean, J. A. Oldham, Rev. H.
L. Whitehead, S. W. Williams, C. H. Parsons, and others.
The official records of the war, issued by the government
and other authorities, have been consulted. The roster of
the regiment is from the " Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers
in the War of the Rebellion," published by the State.
Yours fraternally,
S. M. SHERMAN,
Historian.
Columbus, O., April 6, J 896.
CONTENTS.
Chapter I.
Introduction — How we came to be in it.
Chapter II.
Gathering of the boys — Soldier fare — Useful hints —
Camp Chase — New beds.
Chapter III.
How the regiment was made up — Good material — We
don the blue — The regiment armed — Good bye — Families
and crops to be cared for — How equipped.
Chapter IV.
No yankees need apply— He was afraid of war — His ardor
dampened — Good news — We move on — The boys were ready
to meet the rebs — New Creek- -An alarm — Hard work — We
ave money for Uncle Sam — Steady drill.
Chapter V.
Supplying outposts — Above the clouds— Picket duty —
Saucy rebels — High priced pork — Religious services — Our
friends alarmed — Another scare — Copperheads — At fearful
cost — To the rescue — A joke that nearly proved serious —
Measles and mumps get us.
Chapter VI.
As good as any — After guerrillas — They were ours because
we needed them — Cash all gone — Some veteran officers.
Chapter VII.
On to Washington — Rebel work — Fine scenery — We were
not much scared— Ohio was there— What we may get,
maybe! — Now for real war— Tribute to the sea — Sealed
orders.
— 6 —
Chapter VIII.
We are at the front — Stationed on the line — We build
bombproofs — A strong line — In the trenches.
Chapter IX.
We fight for the Union — Tearing up the railroad — Look !
They're going to charge— We give them our best — A great
blunder — Our division to hold the line — Just how it was —
Prisoners taken — A close call — Part ran, but came back
again — The colonel stayed.
Chapter X.
We go to another post— General Butler compliments us —
An army on the move — An agreeable change— Butler's idea
of the place — To fight desperately — All kinds of soldiers —
A troublesome task — Hostages taken — Despair of hostages
— Hostages paroled — Killed by bushwhackers.
Chapter XI.
Exciting and dangerous service— Halt — Pitiful case — A
run for life — Shameful outrage.
Chapter XII.
A thrilling experience — A night trip — A critical moment
Our escape — Map of the locality — Ticklish reconnoitering —
— Rather do something else — Terrible punishment.
Chapter XIII.
Great responsibility — Be vigilant — Did not want to go- -
Hurry up the fortifications — Strength of garrison — Ineffi-
cient officer — A better one — Life at the fort — The neat 133d
— Soul inspiring whisky — Good markmanship.
Chapter XIV.
Supply train attacked — General Sheridan hungry — In a
critical situation — Wilson's raid — Peculiar wounds — Planta-
tion darkies — Marriage not a failure — Change of diet — Super-
fluous— Foraging — The glorious Fourth — Fighting whisky
— Undress uniform.
Chapter XV.
Drowned — A sad romance — Our deadliest enemy —
Gloomy thoughts — On the alert — They're slow, but look
out when they get there — Another compliment.
Chapter XVI.
Welcome visitors — Signal tower — We go after the rebs —
Butler scolds — Bushwhackers — We leave Fort Powhatan —
Taming a rebel.
Chapter XVII.
Back to Washington— The President wants to see us—
Every one kind to soldiers— Go home— A good supper— A
great welcome— Some sad hearts— We were too full— Our
Grand Parade— Out.-Goodbye ! Boys.
Roster— Roll of Honor.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION
By Comrade C N. Bancroft, Q. M. — " How we came to
be in it."
When armed treason raised its hand against the
unity and integrity of the Kepublic our Common-
wealth had no organized militia such as now re-
dounds to the credit and honor of the Buckeye State,
such as our own present efficient and wellknown
Ohio National Guard.
At that period the few independent companies
in existence were confined to our large cities, among
which were the wellknown Cleveland Grays, Guthrie
Grays, Rover Guards, Columbus Videttes and the
State Fencibles.
These were drilled and under good discipline
and all responded to the first call of Abraham Lin-
coln for seventy-five thousand men.
Popular prejudice existed against militia duty
up to the commencement of the "War of the Rebel-
lion^ and legislative action for fostering and organiz-
ing the militia of the State previous to the commence-
ment of hostilities was of slow growth — showing that
comparatively little had been accomplished to this
end.
It is, however, an indisputable fact, that the
militia of our State such as it was in 1861, was far
superior to that existing in any of the Western
States.
— 10 —
Governor Tod upon assuming his office, appre-
ciating the general feeling as well as the palpable
necessity of a more thorough organization of the State
Militia in his message to the legislature at its open-
ing session in January 1863, called attention to these
facts, and that body wrestled over a bill until the
last of the session when it passed both branches, viz:
"To organize and discipline the militia of Ohio."
The act was formulated to designate the militia
as "Ohio Militia" and "Ohio Volunteer Militia."
The close of the year's labors of the Adjutant
General in carrying out the provisions of the bill was
gratifying and resulted in enrolling in the first class
167,572 men, and in the Ohio Volunteer Militia 43,-
930 for five years.
During 1863 the Volunteer Militia were kept at
drilling during the time prescribed by law and thus
given shape and cohesion.
In February 1864, Governor Brough, compre-
hending the situation and believing the critical point
of the war at hand, on the opening of the spring cam-
paign, conceived the idea of calling on the Ohio Na-
tional Guard and discussed with ex-Governor Den-
nison the importance of the movement.
At his request Governor Dennison visited Wash-
ington to confer with the Secretary of War.
Correspondence followed with the governors of
other states which resulted at the suggestion of Gov-
ernor Brough in a meeting at Washington of the gov-
ernors of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and
Iowa, to consider the question of tendering the Gov-
— 11 -
ernment the services of the State Militia from these
states.
The result of this conference was that the Presi-
dent was tendered upon April 21, 1864, the services
of 85,000 men for the period of 100 days, and of this
number Governor Brougk pledged the Buckeye State
for 30,000. The tender was accepted troops to be
mustered into service by regiments to be filled up
according regulations as to the minimum strength,
organized according to the regulations of the War
Department, all to be furnished within twenty days
from acceptance armed, equipped, etc., and paid as
other United States infantry volunteers, to serve
wherever their services were required, no bounty to
be paid these troops.
Immediately upon the acceptance Governor
Brough telegraphed B. R. Cowen, Adjutant General,
to set the machinery in motion and on Monday morn-
ing, April 25, the press throughout the state pub-
lished the following:
General Headquarters, State of Ohio,
Adjutant-General's Office,
Columbus, April 25, 1864.
General Order No. 12.
The regiments, battalions and independent com-
panies of infantry of the National Guard of Ohio,
are hereby called into active service for the term of
one hundred days unless sooner discharged. They
will be clothed, armed, equipped, transported and
paid by the United States Government.
— 12 -
These organizations will rendezvous at the most
eligible places in their respective counties (the place
to be fixed by the commanding officer and to be on
a line of railroad if practicable) on Monday, May 2d,
1864, and report by telegraph at 4 o'clock P. M. of
same day, the number present for duty.
The alacrity with which all calls for the military
of the state have been heretofore met furnishes the
surest guaranty that the National Guard will be
prompt to assemble at the appointed time.
Our armies in the field are marshaling for a
decisive blow, and the citizen soldiery will share the
glory of the crowning victories of the campaign, by
relieving our valiant regiments from post and garri-
son duty to allow them to engage in the more arduous
labors of the field.
By order of the Governor.
R. B. Cowkn,
Adjutant General.
The day arrived for the mustering at their re-
spective rendezvous. Before the hour named for re-
port, dispatches came in and at 7 o'clock the Adju-
tant General telegraphed Secretary Stanton. "More
than thirty thousand National Guards in camp and
ready for muster, and at 9:30 o'clock the report
showed thirty-eight thousand men in camp clamor-
ous to be sent forward.
Of the whole volunteer militia of the state but
one company (Company B, 40th Battalion, Captain
Wendell Mischler) refused to obey the order calling
— 13 —
it out, and at once under special order No. 374 by
order of the Governor was dishonorably dismissed
from the service of the State of Ohio.
The labor of consolidation was difficult owing to
Thousands of the original members having entered
the national service. Every regiment was reduced
low the minimum, but army officers of experience
were called to aid and the principle adopted was to
break up the smaller organizations and divide the
men in such proportions as were needed.
CHAPTER II.
GATHERING OF THE BOYS.— Immediately
upon receipt of the Adjutant General's order, Colonel
Innis forwarded copies of it to the Captains of the
Companies composing the Third Regiment Ohio
Volunteer Militia, and with it his order designating
the hall of Company B. (Meade Rifles) in the Carpen-
ter block on Town street between Third and Fourth
as the place of meeting, and 7 o'clock A. M. as the
time.
Promptly at the hour the men began to pour in.
The companies from outside the city came in wagons
With their fifes screaming, drums beating vigorously,
and flags flying, giving spectators the impression
that they were full of martial spirit and ready to meet
the enemy at once.
The feeling seemed to be that we were called .for
a special purpose and that the emergency was some-
thing beyond any which had yet presented itself, and
all seemed to feel the importance of it.
Soon the whole regiment was gathered at head-
quarters and speculation was rife as to where we
were to be sent.
Of course we could only guess, and this we did
to the best of our ability all day, starting anew at
every rumor that came to our ears.
During the day quite a number of members of
— 15 —
the regiment who thought they could uot go, or who
disliked the idea of going, secured substitutes at
some price or other, many agreeing to give their rep-
resentatives a dollar a day while in the service, be-
sides their pay from the government.
Thus the day passed and at 6 P. M. companies
A. and B. being composed entirely of men who lived
in the city were dismissed for the night, but with
strict orders to report at 7 o'clock in the morning or
be considered deserters. The balance of the regi-
ment was marched to Tod Barracks just north of the
present Union Depot, where the Columbus Buggy
< Y>'s lumber yard now is.
Here all was hurry and bustle, drums were beat-
ing provost squads coming and going, and soldiers
in their blue uniforms moving about the enclosure
which seemed to fairly swarm with them. All this
was new to our unprepared minds, but it was the
beginning of our soldier education. Once inside the
gate the boys were under more restraint than they
had ever been used to, and although many of them
desired to step outside for a little wThile to secure ad-
ditional articles of baggage, or make final arrange-
ment of their business, the guard was an obstacle
which could not be surmounted.
They all yielded gracefully after doing a little
grumbling, which they considered a soldiers privi-
lege.
SOLDIER FA RE.— About the first thing to be
thought of was supper, so some of the hungry ones
— 16 —
made an excursion to the cook shanties at the rear
of the camp to investigate.
On their return the report was: Gewhillikins,
boys! you ought to see the stuff they are dishing out
to those old soldiers. Wonder if we'll get the same!
By golly, I can't eat that greasy sowbelly, and those
beans cooked in that dirty kettle smoked all up so;
the hard-tack looks like chips and there is no butter
to put on it, and the coffee is black and they get it
in old dirty tincups. I guess I'll go home.
So they rattled on, and really, not many cared
for supper that night although some professed to be
well satisfied. As night came on we realized that
we must find some place to sleep, though the very
thought of passing the night in such quarters seemed
repugnant. We thought of the great numbers of
soldiers, some of them not very cleanly, who had been
quartered here, and we were suspicious that the
bunks were already occupied by those very interest-
ing little insects that accompany the soldier through
his service unless he takes extra precautions to
keep rid of them, and the thought was anything but
pleasurable.
USEFUL HINTS. — The old soldiers were
friendly in giving us advice as to how "to git rid of
'em". "Soak your clothes in strong salt water," or
"Boil your clothes, that'll knock 'em," all of which
advice we treasured up for future use.
The different companies selected their bunks,
which were in tiers at the sides of the large frame
buildings, each bunk being about four feet wide and
— 17 —
the length of a man. The bedding was nowhere to
be found, so each man had to spread his coat or what-
ever he happened to have with him, on the bare
boards and use his spare pair of socks for a pillow.
They declared that this was better than the in-
dian's feather-bed, which consisted of one feather on
a rock. After they were comfortably settled it was
announced that we had taken some other regiment's
quarters, and so we had to get out at 10 P. M. and go
to another building no better furnished.
Here we failed to find sleep, owing to the con-
tinual noise of goers and comers added to the hulla-
baloo kept up by some of the lively members of our
regiment. At 4 A. M. we gave up trying to sleep
and got out to saunter around the camp and
straighten out the kinks in our bodies and rub the
sore spots caused by the pressure of our downy
couches. At 5 A. M. the reveille sounded, when all
were supposed to rise and prepare for breakfast. If
any one was slow about rising he was sure of plenty
of assistance from his bunkmates.
The facilities for morning ablutions consisted of
wetting the hands at the pump, a swipe or two at the
face, and then drying them on whatever was handy,
from a blouse sleeve or handkerchief to a newspaper
or the tail of a shirt.
Breakfast was the same as last night's supper,
though it seemed a little better owing to the growing
appetites.
Being unorganized we had no duty to perform,
so we spent the day lying in our bunks, or reading,
— 18 —
singing or lounging around the barracks. In the
meantime a few absentees were sent for and brought
in.
A physical examination of the members of the
regiment who claimed to be unfitted for service, was
conducted by the surgeons in a hurried way and did
not exclude many from service. One man who suc-
ceeded in getting excused from service by the sur-
geons and reported to the Colonel for his approval,
said: "Colonel, I have no doubt I could stand the
service as well as any of the men, but the fact is my
family cannot get along without me, and my business
will suffer, this is why I got-excused."
The Colonel answered: "My dear sir! I cannot
approve of your being excused, for you are no worse
off than the most of the members of the regiment.
They are also leaving their business suddenly, and
their families unprovided for, yet they go cheerfully
when called. And he went.
A supplementary examination was made after
reaching Camp Chase to determine the condition of
teeth and eyes. None were excluded at this exami-
nation.
It was not known this morning what would be
done with us, so the boys again put in their time
guessing where we were to go.
CAMP CHASE.— In the morning (May 5th) the
guessing continued and the probability that we were
to be sent to the Kanawha Valley seemed to increase.
During the forenoon orders came for us to march to
Camp Chase. At 2 P. M. we took up our line of
— 19 —
march and after a hot, dusty tramp of five miles
reached our destination. Here we found the ground
had been cleared by a detail which had been sent
ahead for the purpose. Pitching tents was a trick
which the boys had to learn, but fortunately some
few of them had had a taste of service, and under
their direction we were under cover and got supper
by nine o'clock.
NEW BEDS. — Sleeping on the ground was a
new experience with most of us, but the boys took
hold with a determination to do their part cheerfully
and although next morning there were many aching
bones nobody complained.
Our orders were to perfect the organization of
the regiment as quickly as possible, that we were
needed immediately. Two telegrams were sent to
Governor Brough by the Secretary of War. The
first read, "Has Ohio a regiment that can be sent at
once to West Virginia? It is needed badly."
This was followed by a second which read, "For
God's sake hurry up and send a regiment. The rebels
are threatening our stores at New Creek."
CHAPTER III.
HOW THE REGIMENT WAS MADE UP.—
The regiment was filled up by adding two companies
of the 76th Battalion O. N. G. from Franklin County,
and two companies of the 58th Battalion O. N. G.
from Hancock County to the 3rd Regiment O. N. G.
from Franklin County. This work of consolidation
was done by the regimental officers without assist-
ance, and was the only hundred days regiment whose
officers performed that duty.
Numerous changes were necessary before every-
thing was satisfactorily adjusted. There was an ex-
cess of officers after the organization of the new regi-
ment. This was arranged for the most part among
the officers themselves, but in a few instances choice
was made by the men.
The Captains of the absorbed battalions ac-
cepted First Lieutenants commissions. Some of the
First Lieutenants became Second Lieutenants, and
those who did not get places remained at home, ex-
cept two lieutenants who enlisted and served as pri-
vates. One of these was Second Lieutenant Eli
White of Company F. 3d O. N. G. These changes
made it rather unpleasant for the men, for being
transferred in small numbers to other companies it
separated them from companions with whom they
had enlisted, and with whom they expected to mess
and bunk. But they were men of intelligence and
— 21 —
did not need to have the necessity explained to them.
They accepted the situation and were soon hail fel-
lows with all.
GOOD MATERIAL.— Eight here I may remark
that there was no regiment in the army which out-
ranked the 133d in the personal character and in-
telligence of its members, rank and file. They were
of the more substantial class of citizens who having
assisted in organizing and supplying all the troops
so far sent out, were now in charge of the business
of the community, and it was thought they could not
be spared. When Morgan raided the state, they or-
ganized for home protection and at the call for One
Hundred Days they left everything and went forth.
The positions of honor and trust in which the
survivors may to-day be found is an indication of the
quality of the men.
The mustering in was done in the night of May
6th, by Major Cravens, and was not completed until
4 o'clock on the morning of the 7th, the field officers
being mustered last though all was dated May 6th,
and when mustered into the service of the United
States, the regiment was designated the 133d Ohio
Volunteer Infantry.
WE DON THE BLUE.— The uniforming of the
regiment was done at night, or rather in the morning
of the 7th. The Captain with a detail of half a dozen
men would report to the quartermaster the number
of men in his company. The proper number of Over-
coats, Blouses, Pants, Drawers, Shoes, Socks, etc.,
were pulled out of boxes and tossed to the men in
— 22 —
waiting. When one got all he could carry he would
go to company quarters and there each man re-
ceived his allowance. The matter of a fit was left
out of the question by the Quartermaster.
This was fun for the boys. Some of their legs
and arms stuck out of the trouser legs and sleeves
too far, while others had to roll up both extremities
and were then too small to fill the balance of the suit.
A system of exchange was instituted by which each
one was finally fitted and everyone was happy.
The men were then required to sign the clothing
receipt roll, each article being charged in separate
columns under appropriate headings.
The prices were :
Hat $1*65
Pants 2 50
Shirt 1 53
Drawers 90
Socks 32
Shoes 2 48
Overcoat 7 50
Poncho 2 75
Blouse 3 12
Blanket 3 50
Making our clothing cost $26 25
Before this was finished, urgent orders were re-
ceived by the Colonel to march at once, that the regi-
ment was badly needed to protect the Baltimore and
Ohio R. R., which the rebels were threatening in
West Virginia.
Everything was hurly burly. Snatching up
their knapsacks and canteens the men fell in, some
— 23 —
only partly dressed, and the march was begun at 5
o'clock A. M. to the State Arsenal on West Friend
(now Main) street.
THE REGIMENT ARMED.— Here we were
each handed a Springfield rifle and the necessary
accoutrements, and the non-commissioned officers in
addition a straight sword a piece which they called
"toad stickers" and "cheese toasters", which they
afterward learned were of no earthly use, unless it
was to get between their legs when on the double
quick.
GOOD BYE.— The friends and relatives had col-
lected and lined the streets as we marched to the
depot. Many "good byes" were said and many of
the boys looked sadly at the stores and shops along
High street where they had been employed and won-
dered if they would ever take their places in them
again.
Just after we arrived at the depot the Colonel
was approached by a prominent citizen who re-
quested that one of the men be granted a leave of
absence as his mother was very sick, but the Colonel
being under imperative orders to march at once could
not grant the request and was roundly abused by the
citizen.
We were not permitted to lose any time but were
loaded into box-cars and were at 11 o'clock A. M. on
the way south over the Little Miami R. R. This was
pretty quick work, the regiment being mustered, uni-
formed, armed and equipped for the field, and on the
way to the front in less than twelve hours, and was
— 24 —
the first of the Hundred Days regiments to leave the
state.
Thirty-eight thousand men taken from the work-
ing force of the state, after all that had previously
enlisted, left very few at home to put in the crops,
and attend and harvest them. On many farms the
women and children were compelled to do the work,
and a man was almost a rarity in some neighbor-
hoods. The following letter of Governor Brough,
taken from the "Ohio State Journal" of May 9, 1864,
shows something of the situation.
FAMILIES AND CROPS TO BE CARED FOR.
Governor Brough to the People.
Five thousand dollars appropriated to the families
of the National Guard. Good suggestion.
Executive Department Ohio.
Columbus, May 9, 1864.
To the Military Committee and People of the State:
The departure of the National Guard from the
State, in the service of the country will necessarily
work much individual hardship. In many cases in
each county, families of laboring men dependent on
the daily labor of the head will be left almost wholly
unprovided for. The compensation of the soldier
will not enable him to provide for the daily wants of
his family. We who remain at home, protected by
the patriotism and sacrifices of these noble men,
must not permit their families to suffer. The prompt
response of the Guard to the call has reflected honor
upon the State. We must not sully it by neglecting
the wants of those our gallant troops leave behind.
— 25 —
No such stain must rest upon the fair character of our
people. As organized, is even better than individual
action, I suggest to the people of the several counties
that they promptly raise by voluntary contribution, a
sufficient sum to meet the probable wants of the fami-
lies of the Guards, who may require aid, and place
the same in the hands of the Military Committee of
the county, for appropriation and distribution.
The Committee can designate one or two good
men in each township, who will cheerfully incur the
trouble and labor of passing upon all cases in their
townships and of drawing and paying such appro.-
priation as may be made to them. Citizens let this
fund be ample. Let those whom God has blessed
with abundance contribute it freely. It is not a
charity to which you may give grudgingly. It is
payment of only part of the debt we all owe the brave
men who have responded to the call of the country
and whose action is warding off from us deadly
perils, and saving us from much more serious sacri-
fices. What is all your wealth to you if your Gov-
ernment be subverted. What is the value of your
stores, if your public credit or finances be ruined or
rebel armies invade and traverse your State. Be
liberal and generous then in this emergency.
Let no mother, wife, or child of the noble Guard
want the comforts of life during the hundred days,
and let tfrose noble men feel on their return that the
people of the State appreciated, and have to some
extent, relieved the sacrifices they so promptly made
in the hour of the country's need.
As these families do not come within the means
— 26 —
provided by the Relief Law, we must look to volun-
tary contributions to provide for them. In aid of
these I feel authorized to appropriate the sum of
Five Thousand Dollars from the military contingent
fund. This sum will be apportioned among the sev-
eral counties in proportion to the number of the
Guard drawn from each, and the chairman of the
military committee early notified of the amount sub-
ject to his order.
In many cases men left crops partly planted,
and fields sown, that in due time must be harvested
or lost. In each township and county there should
be at once associations of men at home who will re-
solve that to the extent of their ability they will look
to these things. It is not only the dictate of patri-
otism, but of good citizenship that we make an extra
exertion to save the crops to the country, and the ac-
cruing value to the owners, who, instead of looking
to seed-time and harvest, are defending us from in-
vasion and destruction. Men of the cities and towns,
when the harvest is ready for the reaper, give a few
days of your time and go forth by dozens and fifties
to the work. The labor may be severe, but the sacri-
fice will be small, and the reflection of the good you
have done will more than compensate you for it all.
In this contest for the supremacy of our govern-
ment, and the salvation of our country Ohio occupies
a proud position. Her standard must not be low-
ered ; rather let us advance it to the front. No brighter
glory can be reflected on it than will result from a
— 27 —
prompt and generous support to the families of the
Guard. Let us all to the work.
Very respectfully,
JOHN BROUGH.
HOW EQUIPPED.— The uniforming, arming,
and equipping was done wholly from the resources al-
ready in the state, no requisition being made on the
general government for anything. This made the
United States Quartermasters Department wonder
how it had been done, but Ohio had some good men
in charge of her affairs, and also the resources.
All the Hundred Days regiments were equipped
in the same way, contrary to the original agreement
with the governors.
Two weeks after the last regiment crossed the
Ohio River Colonel Burr received a telegram that the
government had just shipped two car loads of accou-
trements to help equip the Hundred Days regiments.
At Loveland we took the Cincinnati & Marietta
R.R., which conveyed us to Belpre, twelve miles south
of Marietta. All along the route we were welcomed
by the people with hearty cheers. This was our first
Sunday in the service, but it did not seem at all like
Sunday. Gliding along the railroad in box-cars,
cheered by the people, no religious service, and think-
ing all the time that we would soon be facing the
enemy, robbed the day of its religious character. At
Belpre we went on board a steamboat which carried
us across the river to Parkersburg at two trips.
While waiting for the boat the boys had to draw
on their haversacks where they had been required to
— 28 —
deposit three days rations before starting from Camp
Chase.
The fat pork and hard-tack were now brought
out and devoured with considerable satisfaction,
even by those who at first thought they never could
eat such stuff.
The bounty jumpers who infested the army did
not fail to take advantage of the bounty offered by
those who sent substitutes in the 133d, and having
secured their money, three of them deserted from
Company H. before we reached the Ohio Eiver.
At Parkersburg we went into camp about noon,
put up our dog-tents, and remained until Tuesday
CHAPTER IV.
NO YANKEES NEED APPLY.— In establish-
ing the guard lines a large farm house near the camp
was pretty thoroughly protected. The Colonel and
othat officers applied at this house for supper, but
were told that they did not propose to wait on Yanks
although the officers observed that they were well
supplied with provisions and plenty of poultry.
Finding they were rebel sympathizers, the guard
lines were changed somewhat, and the boys having
found that the poultry was first class eating were
not slow to appropriate all they could reach.
After establishing our camp, ten rounds of ammu-
nition was issued to us, and after battalion drill
the boys were taken out to try their guns. Although
most of them knew which end of the weapon was to
be pointed toward the enemy, some very laughable
ignorance in the use of firearms was displayed.
After dark, when about retiring beneath our shelter
tents for the night, it was whispered about that there
were spies in camp, and we were warned to look out
for strangers.
HE WAS AFRAID OF WAR.— It developed
that a man had been arrested in Parkersburg in the
act of changing his uniform for citizens clothing,
having the latter partly on, with the uniform lying
by. He was brought before the regimental officers,
who recognized him as a soldier who had been sworn
— 30 —
in by the name of Kobert G. Forgrave, Sergeant of
Company F., though that was not his real name.
He confessed that he was about to desert, and after
being told that any further attempt in that direction
would be punished by prompt execution, he was al-
lowed to again take his place in his company. He
made no further attempt to desert, but was on July
31st reduced to ranks for cowardice. During the
fight at Ware Bottom Church, Forgrave was found
missing. A soldier reported that a pair of boots was
protruding from under a brushheap. On pulling
them out they were found, to be occupied by For-
grave.
HIS ARDOR DAMPENED.— After trying our
guns, squad drill was indulged in. The ground was
quite level and nice to drill on, except where some
large trees had been blown down. Where the roots
were torn out there would be quite a hole. These
holes were filled with water with leaves floating on
the surface.
A pompous little dutch sergeant who was drill-
ing a squad and walking backward failed to observe
the location of one of these holes, a good deep one,
and in a twinkling disappeared from view. He pres-
ently floundered out, soaked from head to foot,
minus his pomposity and spluttering something
worse than German.
The affair was so ludicrous, and the audience so
appreciative, that the drill closed at once.
GOOD NEWS. — While here we received news
that Grant had outflanked Lee and forced him to re-
treat. This news was received with great enthusi-
asm, and thie camp resounded with three hearty
cheers by the whole regiment. Our baggage arrived
some time after the regiment got into camp, but in
such a mixed up mess that no one could tell where
his own property was. Some in despair took what
they could get. This led to charges of stealing, but
finally the muddle was cleared up and every man got
his own. Several boxes of clothing and other ar-
ticles that the boys found they could get along with-
out, were shipped home from this place.
WE MOVE ON.— On the morning of the 10th, at
4 o'clock, we were ordered to strike tents, pack up,
get our breakfast and be ready to march.
We took the cars (cattle cars) at 8 o'clock, with
orders to proceed to New Creek, W. Va, a Baltimore
and Ohio railroad station on the north branch of the
Potomac, where the government had a large amount
of ammunition and supplies which the rebels were
threatening.
Things began to look as though we were soldier-
ing in earnest, but no one flinched. The scenery
along the railroad is wild and romantic, among the
mountains, along the sides of ravines, with a hill
hundreds of feet high on one side and a hollow as
deep on the other with the stream at the bottom look-
ing like a silver ribbon. A fellow could not help think-
ing, What if the train should tilt off the little shelf
where the track was laid? What would become of
us? There were a great many tunnels along the
route, some of them very long. At one place a tun-
nel had given way, and we were delayed an hour or
more at Clarksburg till it could be repaired. A cold
rain began in the evening, and this, together with the
fact that the cattle cars were not clean nor provided
with seats, made the night a very uncomfortable one,
but on and on we went, sometimes sidetracking to
let trains pass, then on again through the cold rain,
no chance to make coffee nor cook breakfast, nor dry
ourselves.
For breakfast we had to reach into our haver-
sacks and pull out our cold boiled fat meat and hard-
tack, and we were hungry enough to eat them. In
the forenoon the drivingrod of the engine pulling
the rear section of the train, conveying most of the
officers, broke, and that part of the regiment was de-
layed three hours. The engineer managed to fix his
engine up so we could go on, though in a crippled
condition.
THE BOYS WERE READY TO MEET THE
REBS. — Near Moorefild the train was stopped and
a hundred men called for to go ahead where some
guerrillas were reported to be. The whole regiment
stepped forward, but as all were not needed a hun-
dred were detailed and went forward for some dis-
tance, till they met a train coming our way and
learned that there were no rebels to be seen. The
crippled engine again went on with us through the
rainy night. In the morning, May 11th, when we
arrived at Piedmont, we found that the rebels had
destroyed the little town, burned the railroad shops
and taken a small amount of military stores.
This happened last Thursday, the day we
marched to Camp Chase.
— 33 —
This was the first glimpse we had of the reali-
ties of war.
NEW CREEK.— Five miles further on we
reached our destination, New Creek, and marched
across an open field to comfortable huts built of
small pine logs, in each of which were bunks for
twelve or fourteen men. They were on the bottom
land along the south side of the Potomac, which is
the boundary line between Virginia and Maryland.
The open field between these huts and the railroad
was the parade ground.
There being cabins enough for only four or five
companies the rest pitched their tents on the hill just
outside the fort.
Mountains are on every side, and every little
cloud that floats by seems charged with rain, but the
soil is sandy and soon absorbs all the water that falls.
AN ALARM. — We cleaned up our quarters and
got supper, but had no more than eaten it till we wTere
ordered immediately to the fort on the top of a large
hill to the southwest of the village. This fort (Fort
Fuller) was built by Stonewall Jackson, but he was
shelled out of it by General Fremont who planted
his artillery on the top of the high hill just north of
the river, since wThich it has been occupied by union
forces. We were informed that an attack by the
rebel general Imboden's forces was momentarily ex-
pected, as the scouts reported him only three miles
off. Forty rounds of amunition was iss*ued to each
man and we marched up the hill and into the fort.
There was a little redoubt about a quarter of a
mile to the northwest of the fort, which it was neces-
— 34 —
sary to occupy with a company as a sort of strong
picket or advance post. It was situated at the end
of the ridge or hill on which the fort was, and along
the road by which the enemy would come in making
an attack.
Colonel Innis came down the line with a lantern
asking for a company to take this post, but it did not
seem desirable. Coming to Company H. he asked
Captain Williams if he would like to take the place.
Turning to his men the Captain asked, How is
it, men? Do we want to go out there where the rebs
will find us first?
Yes, yes! came the answer, anywhere out of this
mud. So Company H. marched out there and after
the danger of attack was over and their camp fixed
up a little they found it a very pleasant place. After-
ward Company I. camped between them and the fort,
and both companies remained there until we left New
Creek.
Here we lay on our arms in the mud and rain
catching snatches of sleep as we could, which was
very little indeed. At 3 o'clock in the morning we
were routed out and formed in line ready for an at-
tack. This was caused by a picket firing at some
object moving in the dark which did not respond to
his challange. The rebels did not appear and scouts
brought in word that they had retreated.
HARD WORK.— The men were pretty well
worn out by this time, having been two days and one
night on the comfortless cars with the cold rain beat-
ing in on them, and last night still worse in the mud
and water from four to eight inches deep.
— 35 —
May 12th, about ten o'clock, a part of the regi-
ment was allowed to go down to our quarters and
do some cooking.
So many men are necessary for picket and guard
duty that after drilling each day not much time is
got for rest, and the boys think they are seeing hard
service.
WE SAVE MONEY FOR UNCLE SAM.— We
now realize how necessary it was for our regiment
to get here, for the government has stores here to
the amount of several millions of dollars, and only
a few troops to guard them. This was very tempt-
ing to the rebels who were hovering about awaiting
a favorable moment to attack the place and capture
the supplies.
Fort Fuller was not large enough to allow all
the men at the breastworks at once, so about one-
third of them who were considered the best marks-
men, were placed in front to do the shooting and the
rest were to do the loading. But happily the news
of our arrival reached the rebel general and he found
it expedient to retire.
The regiment arriving in two sections three
hours apart, led the rebels to believe that two regi-
ments had arrived, and when the companies from
the log huts marched up to the fort they thought
there was still another, making it appear that very
strong reinforcements had been received.
Thus the timely arrival of the 133d saved the
United States millions of dollars.
The men felt very much elated over having
scared the enemy off, though some seemed quite dis-
— 36 —
appointed that the rebelsdid not attack us, fully
believing that we should have licked them.
But some would have lost their lives so it was
best that it turned out as it did.
STEADY DRILL.— We now put in all our spare
time drilling, squad, company, and battalion drill,
and soon we were quite well up in the different move-
ments. Duties became regular.
Reveille 5:00 A. M.
Roll call 5:30 A. M.
Breakfast 6:00 A. M.
Sick call 7:00 A. M.
Guard detail t • 7:30 A. M.
Guard mounting 8:00 A. M.
Squad drill 9:00 A. M.
Company drill 10:00 A. M.
Dinner 12:00 M.
Battalion drill 2:00 P. M.
Dress parade 5 :00 P. M.
The fife and drum at Re veille was supposed to
wake every one in camp, and the boys would come
tumbling out of their bunks rubbing the lame places
caused by lying on the boughs of trees which they
had placed to keep them off the ground. Very fortu-
nate were they if they had boards to lie on. If any
were dilatory about rising they were pretty sure
to be assisted by their messmates.
When all were up and dressed they would form
in line in the street between the two rows of tents
which the company occupied, and the orderly ser-
geant would call the roll, each one answering to his
name, or if on guard or sick be so reported. The or-
derly would then report to the captain that all were
— 37 —
present or accounted for, and the company would be
dismissed for breakfast. An hour was given for this
meal and cleaning up the quarters. At the sick call
all who were ailing or claimed to be (for some played
off sick) were formed in line, the orderly made a note
of them and sent them in charge of a sergeant or cor-
poral to the surgeon's tent, or hospital tent, where
they were prescribed for and excused from duty, or
reported able for duty as the case required. Then
came guard detail and guard mounting. The orderly
sergeant of each company would name a certain
number of men (designated by the adjutant) taking
them in rotation from his company roll, usually ten
or more.
These several details would be marched to the
parade grounds and there formed in line, when the
adjutant would put them through a few evolutions,
marching in review, and then send them to their dif-
ferent posts, some on guard around camp, some on
picket posts two or three miles out on the different
roads by which an enemy might approach.
Now came the icork of the day, drilling. At 9
o'clock the men were formed into squads of eight to
twelve men and put through the different movements,
facing, marching, etc., with and without arms, being
under the command of a lieutenant or non-commis-
sioned officer.
When this had lasted for an hour, the squads
were united into companies and the captain or a lieu-
tenant would drill them together for two hours,
marching by flank, wheeling by company, forming
sections and platoons, and in the manual of arms.
— 38 —
This was pretty tiresome work, and the men
were glad when they were dismissed for dinner at
nearly noon. After resting nntil 2 o'clock, the com-
panies were again formed and marched to the parade
ground, two or more companies uniting into bat-
talions, when they were drilled by the field officers
or a captain acting as major. Finally all were
united and drilled as a regiment in similar move-
ments, only on a larger scale.
DRESS PARADE.— The regiment was dis-
missed in time to slick up a little for dress parade at
5 o'clock. This was a ceremonious affair, every one
being supposed to have on his clean clothes, or at
least to have his only suit brushed, shoes blackened,
guns and acoutrements polished, so as to present as
respectable an appearance as possible.
For fear the boys have forgotten in the thirty
years or more that have since passed how it was done,
the following description of dress parade is given
from U. S. Army Regulations of that date.
"A signal will be beat or sounded (on bugle) half
an hour before troop or retreat for the music to as-
semble on the regimental parade and each company
to turn out under arms on its own parade (street) for
roll call and inspection by its own officers.
Ten minutes after that signal, the Adjutants call
will be given, when the captains will march their
companies (the band playing) to the regimental
parade, where they take their positions in the order
of battle. When the line is formed the captain of
the first company,on notice from the Adjutant, steps
— 39 —
one pace to the front and gives to his company the
command
Order ARMS. PARADE REST,
which is repeated by each captain in succession to
the left.
The Adjutant takes post two paces on the right
of the line, the Sergeant Major two paces on the left.
The music will be formed in two ranks on the right
of the Adjutant. The senior officer present will take
command of the parade and will take post at a suit-
able distance in front opposite the centre, facing the
line. When the companies have ordered arms, the
Adjutant will order the music to beat off, when it will
commence on the right, beat in front of the line to
the left, and back to its place on the right. When
the music has ceased the Adjutant will step two
paces to the front, face to the left and command fA Men -
Hon! Battalion! Shoulder arms! Prepare to open
rank*! To the rear open order! March!
At the sixth command the ranks will be opened
by the rear rank taking four paces to the rear, the
commissioned officers marching to the front, the com-
pany officers four paces, the field officers six paces
opposite to their positions in the order of battle,
where they will halt and dress.
The Adjutant seeing the ranks aligned will com-
mand, Present ARMS! when arms will be presented,
the officers saluting. Seeing this executed he will
face about to the commanding officer, salute, and re-
port, Sir, the parade is formed.
The Adjutant will then, on intimation to that
— 40 —
effect, take his station three paces on the left of the
commanding officer, one pace retired, passing round
his rear.
The commanding officer having acknowledged
the salute of the line by touching his hat, will, after
the Adjutant has taken his post, draw his sword
and command, Battalion Shoulder ARMS! and add
such exercises as he may think proper, concluding
with Order AKMS! then return his sword and direct
the Adjutant to receive reports. The Adjutant will
now pass round the right of the commanding officer,
advance upon the line, halt midway between him
and the line of company officers and command, First
Sergeants to the front and centre. MARCH !
At the first command they will shoulder arms as
Sergeants, march two paces to the front and face
inward. At the second command they will march
to the centre and halt. The Adjutant will then or-
der, Fron t Face ! Report !
At the last word each in succession, beginning
on the right, will salute by bringing the left hand
smartly across the breast to the right shoulder and
report the result of the roll call previously made on
the company parade.
The Adjutant again commands, First Sergeants,
outward FACE! To your posts! MARCH! when
they will resume their places and order arms. The
Adjutant will now face to the commanding officer,
salute, report absent officers and give the result of
the First Sergeant's reports.
The commanding officer will next direct the or-
ders to be read, when the Adjutant will face about
— 41 —
and announce, Attention to Orders! He will then read
the orders. The orders having been read, the Adju-
tnat will face to the commanding officer, salute, and
report, when, on an intimation from the commander,
he will face again to the line and announce, Parade
is dismissed. All the officers will now return their
swords, face inward, and close on the Adjutant, he
having taken position in their line, the field officers
on the flanks. The Adjutant commands, Front Face!
Forward, March! when they will march forward,
dressing on the centre, the music playing, and when
within six paces of the commander, the Adjutant will
give the word Halt!
The officers will then salute the commanding
officer by raising the hand to the cap, and there re-
main until he shall have communicated to them such
instructions as he shall have to give, or intimates
that the ceremony is finished.
As the officers disperse, the First Sergeant s will
close the ranks of their respective companies and
march them to the company parade, where they will
be dismissed, the band continuing to play until the
companies clear the regimental parade."
One occasion while on dress parade, our band
was so convulsed with laughter that for a moment
or two the music was spasmodic and out of time.
The cause was that our bass drummer while passing
the front of the regiment, stepped into a small ditch
which ran through the parade ground. His big
drum being before him he could not see the ditch
and was entirely unprepared for the movement he
executed. When he reached the spot, the drum went
— 42 —
down to the ground, there was a twinkling of heels
in the air and the drummer found he had turned a
complete summersault over his instrument.
As might be expected, there were a thousand
smiles on the parade ground, some of them pretty
loud.
Dress parade concluded the days work for those
in camp. Supper was usually ready when the com-
panies were dismissed and the men hastened to dis-
pose of it.
There would then be two or three hours before
evening roll call, which would be spent in washing
or mending clothes, cleaning guns and acoutrements,
writing letters and diaries, visiting about camp, etc.
At 9 o'clock the company fell in for evening roll
call, when all must be accounted for again. Then at
9:30 taps were sounded, lights put out, and silence
held sway for the night.
Such was the routine of a soldiers life when do-
ing garrison duty, or when in camp where the duties
were not too active. Of course when in the presence
of or in close proximity to the enemy, the ceremoni-
ous parts were left out, and only the necessary duties
performed.
CHAPTER V.
SUPPLYING OUTPOSTS.— About twice a
week a wagon-train bearing supplies of ammunition
and provisions for the forces guarding Greenland
Gap and other posts was sent out from this place.
The Gap is twenty-two miles south of New Creek,
is two hundred feet wide, with hills eleven hundred
feet high on each side, and is guarded by five hun-
dred men. These trains were usualy guarded by one
hundred and fifty or two hundred men under a cap-
tain and lieutenants, who went out one day and re-
turned the next, but sometimes started back the
same day they got there and camped along the way.
So matters went on, the weather was rainy most
of the time, but there were some pleasant days when
it only rained five or six 'times a day.
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.— Sometimes we would
see down the valleys what appeared to be smoke,
and when we asked a native what that fire was, were
laughingly told that it was a thunder shower away
below us. We soon found that this was true. They
were clouds.
PICKET DUTY.— Picket duty was especially
unpleasant. The men had to stay on their posts two
or three miles from camp in the ravines where there
wrere wagon roads for twenty-four hours at a time,
and get wet through four or five times as the showers
passed by.
— 44 —
As soon as night came on the Whip-poor-wills
set up their cry in the bushes and kept it up till day-
light, making it more lonesome than ever. The
guards were divided as is usual into three reliefs,
with two hours on and four hours off duty, so that
a fellow could get a couple of naps during the night,
if he attended strictly to business and went directly
to sleep, except when it was raining, and then it takes
a mighty tired man to sleep with the rain splashing
in his face or trickling down his back. Sometimes
wild deer are seen by the pickets, and bear and other
game are reported rather plenty.
SAUCY REBELS.— The men carried one days
rations with them when they went on picket, and
sometimes could add a little extra, as berries, roast-
ing ears, potatoes, etc. And then, once in a while,
a pig or chicken would come up, and in the most tan-
talizing manner hurrah for the Southern Confed-
eracy, right before their faces.
Of course every soldier was sworn to do all in
his power to suppress the rebellion, and the 133d was
deeply impressed with this duty, therefore, when any
animal had the impudence to act that way, it was
at once suppressed, and effectually, too.
In some localities stringent rules were laid down
against foraging, and the boys who did not heed
them, ran risks of punishment.
HIGH PRICED PORK.— On one of these posts,
several miles from New Creek, was a detail of very
young boys, among the rest one who has since be-
come prominent in state politics, has filled a state
office with marked ability, and been prominently
— 46 —
mentioned for governor. A tine sow and pigs came
about their post and brought memories of roast pig
and such things to their minds.
The more they tried to resist the temptation, the
stronger it grew, and the more saucy the rebel pigs
became. At last the boys could stand it no longer
and took after the porkers. Up and down, and
around and around they ran until finally one suc-
ceeded in thrusting his bayonet through the fattest
one, (they dared not shoot, as that was the signal of
an attack). They skinned the little fellow, roasted
him nicely, and soon the stomachs of the picket squad
were feeling more comfortable than for a long time.
They destroyed all evidence of the slaughter and
agreed to keep mum.
After a while an Irishman came to the boys and
said he was looking for a lost pig. He had eight,
and now there were only seven. The innocent boys
helped him hunt in the neighborhood. They had
noticed a sow about there, but there were only seven
pigs with her when they saw them. The Irishman
went away and the boys snickered quietly.
Next morning when they returned to camp and
were dismissed from duty they were ordered to re-
port at headquarters. The Irishman had been there
and entered complaint of his loss. The pickets were
called in one at a time and questioned, but each de-
nied all knowledge of the lost pig until one, worse
scared than the rest, gave up the secret. Each one
was assessed three dollars and Pat was paid in full.
RELIGIOUS SEKVIOES.— May 15th was Sun-
day, and our chaplain gave us a good sermon, most
— 46 —
of the boys attending. Some of the more religiously
inclined hold prayer meetings in their quarters at
night.
Having no meeting house with us, we had to sit
on logs, rocks and stumps, or lie on the ground, or
stand around during preaching. When it came to
the hymns, nearly everyone joined in singing them,
and it was not such bad music that we made either.
Two regiments of One Hundred Days men, the
152d and 154th, came in to-day, and camped on the
ground just west of us along the creek, being over
a week behind us. The ground where they camped
is almost covered with water from the constant rains.
The creek is not very large here, and the water is
usually clear and blue as it goes tumbling along over
the rocks, there being a great deal of fall here among
the mountains, but now it is quite muddy and swol-
len, and runs very swiftly. There are a few places
thirty or forty yards long where the creek is level,
and these make delightful swimming places, as well
as good places in which to wash our clothes.
The pioneer corps is building a foot-bridge across
the creek, of logs supported on trestles. They just
wade through the water up to their breasts, with
their clothes on, utterly regardless of the wetting
they get.
OUR FRIENDS ALARMED.— A report has
reached home that the 133d has been all cut to pieces,
and Dr. Guerin has been sent on to ascertain the
facts. He was happily disappointed to find the re-
port false, and the boys in good shape and fast be-
coming used to the business of soldiering. He at
— 47 —
once sent home the comforting neAvs and our friends
were relieved of their anxiety. A good many soldiers
pass over the railroad both ways, this being the
nearest line between the eastern and western thea-
tres of war.
ANOTHER SCARE.— On the night of the 21st
there were rumors of an attack and we were routed
out at midnight, and lay on our arms till morning.
On the 22d the lookouts on Mount Piano reported a
rebel camp in view ten miles off.
Scouts wTere sent out to ascertain the facts, but
before their return it was decided that an orchard
in bloom had deceived the lookouts, and there was
no rebel camp near.
The weather has now become more pleasant and
admits of steady work at drilling, the days are quite
hot and the nights cool. The letters which reach
us from home help to cheer the boys up and keep
them in good spirits.
On Monday, May 23d, we were given three
rounds of cartridges at battalion drill, and tried our
marksmanship on some trees and stumps. The firing
at command and accuracy of aim were quite credit-
able.
COPPERHEADS.— To-day news was received
that Sam Medary, editor of "The Crisis", at Colum-
bus, was arrested for treason. To-night a meeting
was held and several stirring, patriotic speeches
made by different members of the regiment. Vigor-
ous Janguage was used in regard to the traitorous
utterances of "The Crisis", but all had full faith that
— 4S —
the people at home would manage the copperheads
around them.
Some of the men have formed a club and sub-
scribed for the "Ohio State Journal'', and this, with
the papers sent by friends, keeps us posted on events
at home and in the army. Grant has been doing ter-
rible fighting with Lee, and although he has lost very
heavily, the advantage is with the Union Army.
AT FEAEFUL COST.— On the 24th of May
news came that Grant had whipped Lee badly, and
he was falling back on Richmond. This is good
news, but the Union loss since May 1st is terrible.
It is stated to be forty thousand.
This seems a fearful sacrifice. Just think!
Forty regiments like ours. It is awful! And yet,
this is only a small portion of the waste of human
life in order to save the Union. And no one can tell
when it will end, nor who will be left to enjoy the
fruits of victory. Many rebel deserters are coming
into our camp, and seem very glad to escape from ser-
vice in the rebel army. They are all required to take
the oath of allegiance to the United States. They then
leave for the west, most of them for Ohio. Some of
them, however, enlist in the Union Army.
One of them made boasts of how he had used
Union prisoners. He tried to get away, but was
caught and put in irons and bucked and gagged, to
give him a taste of his own medicine.
They are from different parts of the Confederacy
and show signs of hard living, so one does not wonder
that they desert.
On Mav 29th the 154th O. V. I. went down to
— 49 —
Greenland Gap and relieved the 2d Maryland, which
came into New Creek to take the cars. The 152d
O. V. I. was also sent east, and felt very hard that
our regiment should be left to do guard duty while
they went to the front. Some of them began burn-
ing the boards they had floored their tents with, so
that we could not have the use of them, but our com-
mander soon convinced them that they were sent to
protect "Uncle Sam's" property, instead of to de-
stroy it.
On May 30th the brass band of the 2d Maryland
Regiment played for us at dress parade, before leav-
ing for the east.
TO THE RESCUE.— On the afternoon of May
31st a report was received that Captain Williams,
who went with the provision train to Greenland Gap
this morning, had been attacked. A force of two
hundred men was at once sent out to assist him.
They got started about 6 o'clock, Captain Steely in
command.
Their guide had some difficulty in finding the
way and they finally camped for the night. At day-
light they got breakfast, and after diligent inquiry
found their way to DulFs Gap. Here they found
neither our troops nor rebels. The cavalry scouts
discovered some of the enemy, but so far off as to be
out of reach of our infantry. Captain Williams kept
some scouts out and they found a courier in a cabin
who was very badly wounded. He was one of two
who were carrying dispatches when shot. The other
one was killed.
The wounded man was brought into camp, al-
— 50 —
though it was feared he could not live. He was
kindly cared for by our surgeons and left in the hos-
pital. We never heard whether he got well or not.
About three o'clock the command started for
camp and when within nine miles of New Creek fell
in with Captain William's party returning from
Greenland Gap. The meeting of the two detach-
ments came near resulting in a tragedy.
A JOKE THAT NEARLY PROVED SERI-
OUS.— It seems that Captain Steely's party thought
to have a little fun at the expense of the other party.
They therefore concealed themselves among the
bushes on the hill at the side of the road. When
the approaching party got opposite them they were
startled by the command, Halt! you Yankee sons
of b . Glancing up the hill Captain Williams
could see some mysterious movements among the
bushes, and naturally supposing there were rebs
there quickly brought his men to the side of the train
along the fence.
He said, Boys, we can't see them, but we will
rake the hill. Ready! and the guns were cocked.
At this instant they were surprised to see a Union
officer jump up, wave his arms frantically, and cry
out, Hold on! For God's sake, Captain, don't shoot!
He was not an instant too soon, for within two
seconds the commands, Aim! Fire! would have been
given, and almost to a certainty some of our men
would have been killed and wounded. Moral: Don't
fool with men when they are on business.
Neither party had seen any rebels, except thir-
teen prisoners who were turned over to them at the
— 51 —
Gap, and whom they brought with them. All
reached camp about 9 o'clock P. M., June 1st, very
tired.
During the march some of the boys got very
tired and even gave out. They would not have been
able to go on but for the kindness of the Captain and
the other mounted officers.
They of course got tired of riding and enjoyed
a little walking. They took the boys who were
most fatigued and put them on their horses, and after
a ride they would feel rested and able to march a
while longer.
The boys were very grateful to the officers for
thoughtful kindness.
MEASELS and Mumps get us. — During the lat-
ter part of May and first part of June quite a good
many of the men were sick with measles and mumps,
and our surgeons found their hands full. The dis-
eases were very severe with some, and one man (Mar-
tin Spangler of Company G.) died from the effects of
mumps after reaching Fort Powhatan from which
point he was sent to Fortress Monroe.
CHAPTER VI.
AS GOOD AS ANY.— Time would have hung
heavy on our hands, had it not been for the ever-
lasting drill and guard duty and even that began
to get tiresome.
Our Colonel was desirous that his regiment
should be proficient in the drill and all the duties
of a soldier, and spared no pains to bring about
that condition.
That he succeeded no one will deny and the
compliments paid the regiment by the veteran offi-
cers under whose command it was placed, proved it
conclusively.
A reviewing officer (a West Pointer) Colonel Hoy,
from General SiegePs staff visited New Creek on an
inspection tour during the latter part of May.
The 133d was inspected by him and he asked
Colonel. How long has your regiment been out?
Not quite a month. Well you have been in the serv-
ice before. No Sir! Why! I am surprised. They
march like old veterans. I have reviewed all the
troops in West Virginia and the 133d is unexcelled
by any.
Even in the midst of the engagement at Wane
Bottom Church although they at first gave way for
a little while, they rallied and performed evolutions
with the coolness and precision of dress parade call-
ing forth the commendations of Col. J. B. Howell
our brigade commandes.
— 63 -
Colonel Hoy was a genial Irish gentleman al-
though somewhat profane at times when excited.
He remained two or three days and gave us some
important lessons in brigade drill.
AFTER GUERRILLAS.— On June 4th about
live o'clock in the afternoon the Provost Marshall
called for three hundred men from the regiment to
go on a scout in the direction of Mechanic's Gap about
twenty-eight miles from New Creek where Mc-
Causland's guerrillas were supposed to be.
This took all the well men in the regiment who
were not on duty.
Two pieces of artillery were attached to the com-
mand, and all placed under Captain Steely with
Captain Fisher ranking next. Three days rations
were placed in one haversack and all placed in light
marching order with forty rounds of ammunition
in our cartridge boxes.
The march was begun and continued most of the
night, stopping to reconnoitre at twTo or three places
and finally to await the coming of daylight.
In the morning Lieutenant Parsons with forty
men was detached from the command and ordered
to go to DulFs Gap, where he would remain three
days and then return to camp.
The reason for this was that General Kelly was
after McCauslands band of guerrillas and thought
they might attempt to pass that way, and the gen-
eral wished to have all avenues of escape cut off.
The rest of the command pushed on and reached
Mechanics Gap about eight o'clock.
The cannon were placed so as to command the
— 54 —
gap and guards stationed at prominent points. The
village contained a couple of stores, a church, hotel
etc.
The hotel was taken for headquarters and no
one allowed to leave. All who came into the village,
were detained at the hotel until we left. They were
very indignant at this, claiming that they had only
come to church which was undoubtedly true of the
majority of them but Captain Fisher who had been
left in command explained to them that we were in
the enemy's country and did not know them, that if
they were allowed to depart they might inform the
rebels as to our strength, position etc. and bring them
upon us, so that while it was an inconvenience to
them the circumstances of war made it necessary.
The boys looked around the neighborhood and suc-
ceeded in buying (on credit) and borroicing some things
to add to the culinary department such as ham, eggs,
cornmeal, molasses, honey, potatoes etc. Some of
the officers and men went to houses close by and got
the folks to provide them with dinner for which they
paid. After five or six hours waiting our scouts
brought in word that the rebels had taken another
direction and left the vicinity.
On a hill quite a distance off was seen some per-
son who it was thought might be one of the enemy's
scouts. So a soldier, John Mohr was ordered to fire
a shot at him. This he did without any seeming-
effect, and after half an hour the person fired at came
up to us and proved to be a boy fourteen years of age
who said he had been after the cows and did not know
he had been shot at.
— 55 —
Taking up our return march we proceeded sev-
eral miles and camped for the night making our-
selves as comfortable as could be done under the
circumstances, by setting brush and some old corn-
fodder up against the fence and crawling under it.
It got very cold in the night and snowed a little,
and some of the boys found their hair frozen in the
mud when they attempted to rise in the morning.
THEY WERE OURS BECAUSE WE NEEDED
THEM. — After daylight some sheep and a hog or two
were found. They were soon gobbled up and then
gobbled down. We made coffee and after breakfast
started on towards camp. The day became very
hot and we had to march very slowly.
About two o'clock when still seven or eight miles
from camp Captain Fisher was overcome with the
heat. He was placed on one of the caissons until
we reached a comfortable house, into which he was
taken and kindly cared for by the lady of the house
who said her husband was a major in the rebel army.
After a few hours he was able to be brought into
camp.
The command proceeded and reached camp
about five o'clock P. M., June 6th very tired after
their tramp of fifty-six miles.
Some of the boys threw themselves on the
ground as soon as we got inside of the picket lines
and after a rest came straggling in.
A courier had been sent to Lieutenant Parsons
with orders to return with his command to camp,
also, and he arrived about the same time.
When the detachments reached camp all was
— 56 —
bustle and activity as orders had been received for
a move and it was said that we were to go to Wash-
ington City.
The past two days had been very dull ones for the
boys who remained in camp as not enough were left
for drill, and when the guards were sent out it seemed
very lonesome to the handful remaining.
They had employed their time in washing and
mending their clothes, and now looked so neat and
clean, that the other boys said they were stuck up.
CASH ALL GONE.— The sutler at New Creek
had done a pretty good business with the men, charg-
ing army prices, and by this time had got all their
spare cash. A picture gallery had also been patron-
ized and the tintypes sent home to the families and
best girls, so they could see how we looked as real
soldiers.
SOME VETERAN OFFICERS.— The post of
New Creek was under command of a Mexican veteran
Colonel Wilkinson. The — Illinois (the famous Col.
Mulligans) which regiment having reenlisted was
relieved by us to take the usual veteran furlough,
had just gone and came back just after we left. Two
officers of this regiment were left to assist Col. Wil-
kinson.
The Post Adjutant is a Captain Brown who is very
irritable and at guard mounting, curses the men and
flourishes his sword before them in a threatening
manner when they do not march just to suit him.
His uniform consists of black broadcloth pants,
a green woolen shirt and an ordinary fatigue cap.
— 57 —
The Sergeant Major is a stout built, swarthy
looking, swaggering fellow who is said to be part
Indian. His uniform is light gray pants, dark gray
jacket, army shirt and slouch hat, with his pants
in his boots.
The 133d so far has been quite actively engaged
in Uncle Sam's work, not fighting to be sure, but in
guarding stores, picketing the approaches to this
important military depot, carrying supplies to the
garrisons of different posts near here, and like work.
The men have done their duty in a soldierly man-
ner, and will be ready for any work they may be
called upon to perform.
CHAPTER VII.
ON TO WASHINGTON— We at once got our
traps ready, rations cooked, and at five o'clock P. M.
June 7th took the cars for Washington city.
Just before sunset we reached Cumberland, Md.,
and were greeted by a large gathering of people who
seemed quite patriotic, cheering, waving flags and
handkerchiefs etc.
Through the night we went very slowly making
only about forty miles. Sleeping in the cars packed
like sardines was not very conducive to perfect rest,
and the boys were glad to get out in the morning
and cook their breakfast and stretch themselves.
At one of our stops there was a small store, and
as usual the boys made a rush to purchase such
articles as they needed.
The proprietor was overwhelmed with business
and could not wait on his customers fast enough, so
they began to help themselves, even those who
had no money followed suit, and soon everyone had
what he could lay hands on. On their return to the
train they compared notes to see what each had se-
cured. One fellow seemed to have been unsuccess-
ful and was twitted by his comrades for his bad luck.
He stood their jeers for a while, but finally pulled
from under his coat a bottle of peppersauce saying,
"By George! I did get something!" He was greeted
by yells of Peppersauce! Peppersauce!
— 59 —
He always thereafter went by the name of Pep-
persauce, and when at roll call the orderly sergeant
yelled out Peppersauce! he answered as promptly
as if his proper name had been called. We then
got aboard the cars again and slowly wended our way
along toward Washington. The country is beauti-
ful along the railroad, being mountainous country
with rich valleys betwen the hills.
REBEL WORK.- When we reached Harpers
Perry we again saw the effects of war in the shape
of burned shops and buildings, and wrecked cars.
Three locomotives and a good many cars had
been run off the track on the Harpers Ferry side of
the Potomac and dumped off the abutment into the
river.
FINE SCENERY.— The view of the Potomac
river here is fine. It is very wide and shallow with
rocks peeping above the water, the swift current
breaking over them and the reflection of the hills
in the smooth places, altogether make a pretty scene.
On the left are Maryland Heights where Ford sur-
rendered to Stonewall Jackson. At six o'clock in
the morning we passed Relay House and ran on to
Annapolis Junction. Here we laid sidetracked for
passing trains till dark. This gave us an oppor-
tunity to build fires and make coffee, which we were
not slow to improve. Again boarding our palace
cars, we composed ourselves in our berths (on the
floor) and about two o'clock in the morning found
ourselves in Washington.
We remained in the cars till five o'clock when
we were quartered at the Soldier's Home.
— 60 —
While we were on the way here yesterday the
National Republican convention at Baltimore re-
nominated Abraham Lincoln for President and
placed Andrew Johnson of Tennessee on the ticket
with him for Vice President.
On arriving at Washington our Colonel reported
to General Augur and was ordered to immediately
put his command in light marching order, so that
no man should have more than fourteen pounds to
carry, then proceed to the Potomac river at the foot
of Sixth Street, there take shipping and proceed to
the White House on the Pamunkey river in Vir-
ginia and report to General Abercrombie to be sent
to the Army of the Potomac. This order caused some
fluttering of hearts and the boys who had originally
expected to do home guard duty only, wondered how
they could be taken right into the thick of the fray,
for the Army of the Potomac had been for weeks
fighting the battles of the Wilderness etc., and were
still at it.
WE WERE NOT MUCH SCARED.— This feel-
ing of trepidation was soon gone and when the order
to fall in was given, every man took his place wil-
lingly and most of them cheerf uly although they had
every reason to believe that the majority of them
would leave their bones on the sacred soil of Old
Virginia.
While in Washington the boys took advantage of
their spare time to look about the Capitol and other
buildings and enjoyed it very much, for few of them
had ever seen the seat of the national government.
OHIO WAS THERE.— The people of Washing-
— 61 —
ton were amazed at the numbers of soldiers coming
from Ohio, and when one told that ice were from
Ohio, exclaimed: "Great God! man! What kind of
a damned machine have you got out there to make
soldiers with?"
WHAT WE MAY GET. MAYBE!— The reg-
iment marched without delay to the landing. Here
we received another reminder of what might be our
fate, boats we expected to take had just arrived
loaded with wounded soldiers from the Army of the
Potomac where we were going.
Their wounds were of every conceivable descrip-
tion. We were directed to assist in placing them in
ambulances which were to take them to the hospitals,
and did this service before we could embark.
While at the landing waiting to go on board, the
peddlers of pies, fruits etc., came about very thick.
The boys had very little money to buy with, but
most of them tasted the wares. Several would
gather round the vender and one in front would
make a feint to help himself. This would cause the
basket to be jerked back when it came into position
for those in the rear to help themselves, which they
did very liberally. The stock was soon disposed
of but not to the profit of the dealers.
NOWT FOR REAL WAR.— We boarded the Wen-
onah at three o'clock P. M. on June 10th, steamed
down the river to Alexandria, coaled up and anchored
for the night. It was an amusing sight for us north-
erners to see the darkies wheeling the coal onto the
steamboat.
They had a regular time to go by and when a
— 62 —
certain place in the song was reached each man
would grasp the handles of his wheelbarrow, fall in
line with the rest, and step off to the mnsic. There
were twenty or thirty thus coming and going and the
coal was soon loaded. The steamer was a good sized
boat, but our regiment and the necessary baggage
and supplies crowded it a good deal. As we came
down the river we had a very good view of the forts
and batteries, with their cannon pointing toward
us, and we realized how quickly our steamboat could
be sunk by them, had we not worn the blue.
We got no dinner and only hardtack for supper,
but after the feast of oranges~pies, cakes, etc., before
boarding the steamer we could stand it very well.
The decks were very dirty but tired soldiers
can sleep anywhere so the night was passed quite
comfortably. It was much better than being jolted
in cattle cars. The weather was quite warm, but a
good rain in the night cooled the air off nicely, and
in the morning it got quite cold and drizzly with a
strong wind blowing from the southwest.
TRIBUTE TO THE SEA.— A little after noon we
got out into the Chesapeake bay and here the wind
caused the waves to roll up pretty well, forming
whitecaps as far as we could see. The result was
that the rocking of the boat made many of the men
seasick. They had quite a time "heaving Jonah"
over the sides of the vessel and feeding the porpoises
as the rest told them, and this was worse than cattle
cars. The porpoises came rolling and tumbling about
the boat in great numbers all the way down the bay
and up the James River.
— 63 —
SEALED ORDERS.— Just before we started
from Washington the Colonel had a large envelope
handed him by an aide from General Augur's staff,
endorsed "Not to be opened till in the Chesapeake
bay." It proved to be an order changing our destina-
tion from White House to Bermuda Hundred where
Butler had lately established himself with the Army
of the James. During the progress down the bay
we were out of sight of land a part of the time. We
met several boats going up the bay carrying soldiers
and wounded men to Washington. We passed Fort-
ress Monroe about ten o'clock P. M. and anchored
at Newport News for the night. Sunday morning
June 12th we started on up the James which is very
wide with low banks and level land beyond them
until we got some distance up. Old Jamestown, the
first settlement in Virginia, seemed ruined and de-
serted as did most of the towns we saw. This river
is the main thoroughfare to the seat of war and con-
sequently we were continually meeting ships and
boats of all descriptions coming and going with their
freight of soldiers or provisions and munitions of war.
Here and there would be a gunboat patrolling the
river, guarding us from rebel attacks, and one iron-
clad was passed, which sat low in the water and did
not look to be of much consequence but if we could
have seen the inside of her, it would have shown a
wonder of equipments and men that would have
dealt out destruction to the enemy on the shortest
notice.
The plot keeps thickening and we are getting
very near the point where real war exists. We will
soon be with the veterans who have been in constant
contact with the rebs for months.
CHAPTER VIII.
WE ARE AT THE FRONT.— About two o'clock
P. M. we landed at Bermuda Hundred without any
mishap, and on reporting to General Butler were
ordered to Point of Rocks about four miles up the
Appomattox. We arrived there about five o'clock
and while waiting to be assigned our place in the
works, took notice of what was passing around us.
Our men had built a lookout near where we
stopped and the rebels had fired at it so much that it
had to be abandoned, and they were still firing an
occasional shot at it. Captain Steely went up to take
a look at the structure which was built of pine poles
after the fashion of a windmill frame. There was
the report of a cannon from the rebel works and a
conical shell struck the ground some distance in front
of the captain and came tumbling end over end in his
direction, throwing a shower of sand over him. He
did not wait for it to come up with him but turned
and made tracks away from it at a 2:40 gait calling
forth cheers from the boys commending his agility.
We pitched our tents in a woods close by and ate
supper.
Our regiment was assigned to the First Brigade,
First Division. Tenth Army Corps. Our brigade
commander was General A. H. Terry who just then
was promoted to division and then to Corps com-
mander. Colonel Joshua B. Howell of the 85th
— 65 —
Penn. Vols, took command of the brigade, and Gen-
eral K. S. Foster of the division.
In our brigade was the Sixty-Seventh O. V. I.
commanded by Colonel A. C. Voris now of Akron,
O. To the officers and men of this veteran regiment
the 133d was placed under obligations by many acts
of kindness.
STATIONED ON THE LINE.— Monday June
13th. After breakfast we marched about a mile and
a half from our camp to a point along the works about
half way between the James and Appomattox.
Here we pitched our tents back some distance
from the breastworks and cleared the ground of
brush and fallen trees by piling it up and burning
it. Every little while there would come a report
from one of the burning brushheaps and there would
be a scattering of the brands. This was caused by
the unexploded bombshells which the rebels had
thrown over at our men. The fires heated them
enough to cause them to explode, but luckily no one
was hurt by the flying pieces, though several had
narrow escapes.
WE BUILD BOMB PROOFS.— As soon as we
were settled here we were directed to build bomb
proofs. This was done by building up poles four
feet high, and then placing a roof of poles sloping
up from them for ten or twelve feet. Then inside
of this the ground was dug out a couple of feet deep
also from around the shed and the earth thrown
back of, and on top of the poles, thus making a sort of
earth covered shed with the open side away from the
enemy. Being covered with three feet or more of
— 66 —
earth they were tolerably secure for us when firing
took place from the rebel batteries.
The bomb proof of each company was about
fifty feet long and ten feet or so wide with a six foot
space between companies.
We were so diligent in getting them done that
the old veterans laughed at us, saying that the old
soldiers would have been three times as long about
it. One reason for the work being done so soon was
that the shells and cannon balls were alighting all
about, which was quite a stimulant to exertion. An-
other was that most of our men were farmers inured
to hard work and accustomed to driving their own
business and they took hold of this in the same way.
Two of our companies were city men not used to the
shovel and spade so when they fell behind the others
turned in and helped them.
Our fortifications here extend from the James to
the Appomattox across the neck of a peninsula made
by the junction of the two rivers and which com-
prises about thirty square miles of high and dry,
healthy land which seems to be almost clear sand,
and yet the cleared places are covered with corn
which looks well.
Our troops have only been here about four
weeks and the crops were planted before we came.
It is a mystery to us northern men who have been
used to rich land how anything grows on this sand.
A STRONG LINE.— Our line of fortifications
here is very strong. At the banks of both rivers,
there are bluffs about one hundred and twenty feet
high. A deep and impassable ravine runs for half
a mile from the James and one of the same kind for
nearly a mile from the Appomattox across the neck
of the peninsula toward each other, so that only a
mile or so of strong works remained to be built. This
rendered the line almost impregnable. The rivers
were both deep up to the line of works, so that our
gunboats could protect the peninsula and it was thus
a splendid place to gather an army and to operate
from, as troops and supplies could be brought by
water very cheaply and quickly, and being close to
both Richmond and Petersburg it was a valuable
point to hold.
The rebel works are, full of men in plain view
about half a mile or less in front of us and their pick-
ets and ours are close together. We got our bomb
proofs completed but only occupied them about three
hours when we were ordered to the breastworks to
help repel an expected attack by Beauregard on But-
ler's center.
IN THE TRENCHES.— Their attack was a little
slow, and a couple of brigades from our side sallied
out and took a rebel redoubt with small loss. We
laid in the trenches all night. On the morning of the
fourteenth all the men able for duty, about eight
hundred, were detailed to work on the fortifications
and after marching to several places were finally put
to work and made a road for Gen. A. J. Smith's
corps of General Grant's army to pass over. We
again laid all night in the trenches. The nights are
uncomfortably cold while the days are very hot. On
— 68 —
the fifteenth we could hear heavy firing all day in
the direction of Petersburg. Troops are pouring in
by the thousands and our position is constantly be-
coming stronger.
CHAPTER IX.
WE FIGHT FOR THE UNION. RAID ON
THE RAILROAD.— On the morning of the sixteenth,
after another night in the trenches we got our break-
fast and were notified that all men able for work
were detailed for fatigue duty in repairing, strength-
ening and extending breastworks around Bermuda
Hundred. The detail was made, the men placed in
line and had shouldered muskets, picks and shovels,
when another order came directing the command-
ant to march to the front with every available man
in his command with not less than forty rounds of
amunition and two days rations per man, prepared
to support a battery of artillery.
The reason for this move will be seen in the fol-
lowing dispatch.
Headquarters Near Point of Rocks, Va.,
June 16, 1864—7:45 a. m.
Lieutenant-Gcneral U. S. Grant, Commanding Armies of
the United States, City Point, Va.:
The enemy have evacuated our front. I have
ordered out Foster's division to make a reconnoiss-
ance. The enemy have all gone to Petersburg.
Hoke's division has come from the Army of North-
ern Virginia and gone to Petersburg. Will try to
reach the railroad.
B. F. Butler,
Major- General Commanding .
— 70 —
TEARING UP THE RAILROAD.— We were
ready at once and marching outside of our works
and on through those of the rebs we formed a line
of battle and advanced for a mile or more. The ad-
vance portion of our. line reached the Richmond and
Petersburg railroad, tore it up for some distance and
burned the ties and bent the rails, as per the follow-
ing report to General Grant:
June 16, 1864—12:50 p. m.
Lieutenant-General Grant :
General Turner is now at Port Walthal Junction
with 530 men, all the tried soldiers he has, tearing
up the Petersburg railroad. General Terry has
moved out on the turnpike and is endeavoring to
strike the railroad there. I have ordered Kautz's
cavalry in as I am very much in need of them to feel
the enemy on the right.
B. F. Butler,
Major- General.
General Butler to General Terry,
Headquaters Dept of Virginia and North Carolina,
In the Field June 16, 1864.
General Terry :
Turner is now on railroad at junction tearing
it up with about 500 men. General Butler suggests
that you look well to your right and send part of your
men to support of Turner, as the road well destroyed
at one place is better than to poorly destroy it at sev-
eral places. By this course you can cover your right
— 71 —
and effectually destroy the road near where Turner
now is. Make complete work of it. So far you have
done splendidly.
The general has just notified General Grant that
your forces are on the road.
Respectfully,
J. W. Shaffer,
Colonel and Chief of Staff.
June 16, 1864—2 p. m.
Col. J. W. Shaffer, Chief of Staff:
Ames and Foster both reached the turnpike.
Foster near the junction of the Chester road. Ames
at a point some distance to the south. Foster im-
mediately became engaged with the enemy and a
sharp skirmish ensued. It soon became apparent
to him that the enemy were in force. I therefore
halted Ames at the turnpike, but after a while direc-
ted him to send forward a picked party of men to tear
up the railroad. Shortly after this order was given
General Foster became so warmly engaged that I
deemed it necessary to coutermand it and withdraw
General Ames' force to a position to cover Foster in
case of need and to withdraw his own troops for a
short distance. Prisoners taken say that the force
in our front is Pickett's division, that it with other
troops crossed the river this morning. They say
they saw Lee in person at the crossing.
They also report that other troops, Lee's whole
army are following Pickett.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
Alf. H. Terry,
Brigadier General.
— 72 —
June 16, 1864—3:15 p. m.
General Terry :
Dispatch received. You must withdraw as
quickly and speedily as possible. I have sent word
to Turner to withdraw also. You had better send
an aide to him, so to do, also. See that your work-
ing parties are drawn in with their tools.
Benjamin F. Butler,
Major General Commanding.
LOOK! THEY'RE GOING TO CHARGE.—
In withdrawing our brigade was assigned to the
place of rear guard. The rebels advanced rapidly
three lines deep and crowded us.
Colonel Howell commanding the brigade ordered
us to about face and give them the warmest recep-
tion we could. He sent for Colonel Innis and hand-
ing him his field glass, said, "Look at those devils
over there. They are going to charge on us." On
looking through the glass Colonel Innis could dis-
tinctly see the Johnnies forming line of battle.
Colonel Howell said, "Now, Colonel Innis, do not
let them catch you without fixed bayonets."
"When shall I fix bayonets?" Colonel Innis
asked. "Take your own time, only do not be caught
with them unfixed."
WE GIVE THEM OUR BEST.— On came the
rebs and about twenty-five rounds were exchanged
with them about as rapidly as they could be fired.
The effect of our fire on the enemy could not of course
be told, but our brigade lost several men in killed
and wounded, two of the latter being members of
our regiment. In withdrawing our regiment was
ordered to march by the right flank to close the line,
which fortunatelybrought it back of the rebel works,
and thus prevented our sustaining greater loss.
The following order was issued to General Terry at
this time:
General Butler's Headquarters,
June 16, 1864—5:30 p. m.
General Terry :
Do not send off the Ohio Regiments ordered to
Wilsons Wharf and Fort Powhatan until further
orders.
B. F. Butler,
Major General.
(Copy to General Turner.)
Butler to Grant.]
June 16, 1864—5:30 p. m.
Lieutenant-General Grant :
A GREAT BLUNDER.— Dispatch received. I
have examined an intelligent deserter and prisoners.
The evacuation was an enormous blunder.
Beauregard ordered out his troops and Long-
streets Corps was to occupy their places, but Long-
street did not get up. I have improved the oppor-
tunity to destroy some three miles of the railroad.
I will order my picket lines to hold, if possible, the
line of the enemy's works, but as the line is so much
longer than my old line I cannot hold it with my
present force.
— 74 —
If we can hold on till Wright's two divisions
come up we may then hold it.
Heavy skirmishing is now going on.
B. F. Butler,
Major General.
Butler to Terry.]
June 16, 1864—5:45 p. m.
General Terry :
Hold your picket line on the line of the enemy's
works from Howlett's round to your front where
our line was at first.
OUR DIVISION TO HOLD THE LINE.— Hold
Ware Bottom Church with a strong reserve and do
not yield without a struggle.
I hope to get up two divisions of Wright's Corps
to occupy it during the night or early in the morning..
Benjamin F. Butler.
Indorsement.
Headquarters Tenth Army Corps,
In the Field near Hatcher's Run, Va.,
June 16, 1864—6:25 p. m.
Brigadier General R. S. Foster, commanding
First Division, is charged with the execution of this
order.
By order of Brigadier-General Terry.
Adrian Terry,
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.
JUST HOW IT WAS.— The following dispatch
of General Butler to General Grant explains the en-
tire situation.
— 75 —
June 16, 1864—10:45 p. m.
Lieutenant-General Grant, Commanding, etc.:
The exact state of affairs in my front is this:
At daybreak this morning the enemy's line was evac-
uated by the troops defending it, to go to Peters-
burg, from orders from Beauregard, but to leave a
picket line which should amuse us till Early's Di-
vision should take their place. By a blunder the
pickets were withdrawn on a part of the line. This
was endeavored to be corrected about eight o'clock,
but our pickets discovered the fact early in the morn-
ing and I ordered an advance along the whole line.
This flanked the remaining pickets and all were
driven in or captured. The railroad being thus
opened we moved upon it at once and after throw-
ing out a brigade toward our right to observe the
enemy in the direction of Richmond, we commenced
upon the railroad and have torn up the track for
nearly three miles, piling up the ties, burning them
with the rails laid over them, and in some places
digging down the embankments. About 2 o'clock
the enemy approached in force on our right and
drove in our pickets, forcing us back to their line of
intrenchments and near the James back to Ware
Bottom Church. If we hold what we have now, we
can turn their line at any time after Wright's Corps,
which I have not yet heard of, comes up. I shall
have three regiments on picket, after I withdraw five
regiments, the whole eight being left out on that line
to be sure to hold it, but as it leaves too large a force,
being nearly one-half of my best men, to fight on a
picket line and endangers the safety of my principal
— 76 —
line, I withdraw the five regiments, especially as they
have been working and fighting all day.
My right is within two miles of the turnpike^
over which Lee mnst march as the railroad is goner
and within one mile of the gunboats. We are drop-
ping shells up on it at intervals of once in three min-
utes, which is the firing you hear.
B. F. Butler,
Major General.
PKISONEES TAKEN. — Our brigade took
about ninety or one hundred ^prisoners. Company
"D " claimed the honor of capturing the first pris-
oner taken by the 133d, as a Johnny surrendered to
privates John Q. Adams, Harrison Gilliland and
John Wampler at about 10 o'clock A. M. The warm
reception given the rebels prevented their following*
us farther and we arrived inside our works at 11
o'clock at night, having been under fire for about
fifteen hours. Three companies on the left of the
regiment, B., G. and K., were detached from the
others when we went out and placed on the extreme
left of the line, and did not participate in the en-
gagement, but the skirmishers in front of them were
continually engaged and the bullets and cannon
balls flew over their heads thickly, and kept them
anxiously waiting for the order to go in, for which
they were quite ready.
A CLOSE CALL. — When the order was given
to fall back, the regiment halted at the first con-
venient place to see that all were present. These
companies being absent the Colonel asked some one
to volunteer to carry an order to their captains to
rejoin the regiment.
Private Joseph Gregg at once offered to per-
form the duty, and started to carry the order. On
arriving at the breastworks, which the regiment had
just left, the messenger seeing a lot of soldiers be-
hind them ran up and said, "The Colonel directs that
you join the regiment immediately.'' The reply
was, "That is a Yankee, catch him." Gregg turned
and ran for dear life and liberty, and some six or
eight rebels ran to catch him, but he was too swift
to be picked up, and with these men behind him the
rebels could not fire on him for fear of killing their
own men. They yelled to their men to fall to the
ground, and give them a chance to shoot. This the
pursuers soon did, and more than a hundred shots
were aimed at Gregg. Three balls cut his hat,
some five others cut his clothing, but not a drop of
blood flowed. It was in consequence of this failure
to have these companies rejoin the regiment that
they missed the fun near Ware Bottom Church later
in the afternoon, which they very much regretted.
PAKT RAN— BUT CAME BACK AGAIN.—
During the hottest part of the engagement the
Second Maine Infantry on the left of our brigade,
finding their ammunition exhausted, made a move-
ment to the rear for the purpose of filling up again.
Seeing this, a good part of the 133d supposed an order
had been given to retreat, and they became excited
and went back in a hurry. They soon discovered
their mistake, however, and re-formed their line on
the double-quick, when the whole brigade cheered
— 78 —
lustily and opened up a furious fire along the whole
line. They exchanged some twenty-five rounds of
musketry, when the enemy fell back leaving about
ninety prisoners in our hands. During the balance
of the engagement the 133d behaved like old vet-
erans.
About a company and a half of the men did not
run, and while General Howell was rallying the rest
he ordered Colonel Innis to remain in front in charge
of the line, which he did to the entire satisfaction
of the brigade commander.
General Foster and staff assisted in restoring
confidence in the men, and not finding the Colonel
with them supposed he had abandoned his com-
mand, but his remaining at his post explains why
he was not with the fugitives.
The following dispatches bearing on this sub-
ject will explain the matter.
General Butler's Headquarters,
June 17, 1864— -Received at 11:15 p. m.
General Terry :
It is reported that the Colonel of the Ohio regi-
ment that broke and ran yesterday, ran away from
his regiment. If so, please report facts, and if he
ran and did not attempt to rally his men, he will be
properly dealt with.
J. W. Shaffer,
Colonel and Chief of Staff.
THE COLONEL STAYED.—
Headquarters Tenth Army Corps,
June 17, 1864—4.30 p. m.
General Terry, at General Butler's Headquarters :
Colonel Howell reports that Colonel Innis when
— 79 —
his regiment broke, remained at the front with about
half a company, which he kept up to the line, and
that he deserves credit rather than blame.
A. Terry,
Assistant Adjutant- General.
Colonel Howell, commanding our brigade, says
in his report of the fight:
"About 4 or 5 o'clock I got the order to fall back,
which was done in perfect coolness and order, no
confusion, no hurry.
We fell back in the rifle pits on a line with Ware
Bottom Church, the place designated. About sun-
set the enemy made a dash upon us. My old brigade
held their ground nobly. The One Hundred and
Thirty -third being new to fire broke and ran, with the
exception of two or three companies. I respectfully
beg leave here to state that the conduct of Colonel
Innis was irreproachable.
I rode up and down the line and saw him cool
and composed, and trying to rally his men. My
horse was shot under me at this time. I wish to
say to the general that these men are unused to fire,
they have to be educated to it. My belief is that
they will never break again. I believe they are
brave men, they came back with a cheer, those that
I saw."
Joshua B. Howell,
Colonel Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania Vols., Comm'd'g Brigade.
The rebels kept up their cannonading at inter-
vals all night, as also did our artillery, while we
maintained our position at the breastworks until
one o'clock the next day, June 17th.
CHAPTER X.
WE GO TO ANOTHER POST.— We now left
the front for Fort Powhatan, about twelve miles
down the river, in obedience to the following order:
Headquarters Tenth Army Corps,
In the Field, June 17, 1864.
Special Orders
No. 53.
Pursuant to instructions from department
headquarters the One Hundred and Thirty-third
Ohio Volunteers will proceed at once to the com-
missary wharf at Point of Rocks and report to Major
Haggerty for duty at Fort Powhatan, relieving the
command of Colonel Stafford, which will return on
the same boat to Point of Rocks.
Quartermasters will furnish transportation.
By order of Brigadier-General A. H. Terry.
Adrian Terry,
Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.
During the forenoon while we were lying at the
breastworks, before receiving the above order, there
was quite a skirmish in the woods in front of us, and
our gunboats have been throwing shells occasion-
ally all day. Just as we were about to leave, the
Johnnies began to shell our camp, but did not harm
us.
— 81 —
GENERAL BUTLER COMPLIMENTS US.—
At the Landing where we were to take the boat we
met several of the 5th U. S. 0. T., some of whom are
from Columbus.
While wre were waiting to take the boat a staff
officer rode up ami inquired for Colonel Innis. Find-
ing him he said, "Colonel, you are the hardest man
to find there is in Bermuda Hundred." The Colonel
explained how we had been ordered about on vari-
ous duties and that we had been busy.
He then said, "General Butler sends his com-
pliments to the 133d for the handsome manner in
which they behaved after rallying from their break.
He understands that they are new to fire and was
pleased that they did so well."
Boarding the steamboat we were not long com-
ing in sight of the fort, but instead of landing us the
boat anchored for the night.
We had been in the trenches several nights and
on fatigue duty in the daytime, then came the days
marching and fighting, so that the men were very
tired.
The boat's decks afforded a good place to lie
down and there was no guard duty to perform, so as
soon as we cast anchor and dusk came, every one laid
down and put in a full night sleeping. This was the
best night's rest we had had since we left home.
AN ARMY ON THE MOVE.— Just ahead of our
boat is a pontoon bridge, on wrhich a portion of
Grant's forces, Meade's Army of the Potomac, is
crossing the river, and above and below they are
crossing by ferry boats.
— 82 —
They have been crossing without ceasing for
three days and nights, which gives one some idea
of the immense number of men there are. The im-
mense lot of stores, ammunition, provisions, tents
etc, and droves of cattle, numbering thousands, all
go to make up the army.
AN AGKEEABLE CHANGE.— Our regiment
was quite well satisfied to change from active duty
in the field to garrison duty in the fort. They
thought it more in accordance with the orders under
which they were called out. They did not think
they had been sufficiently prepared for duty at the
front, though the active drilling they had at New
Creek made them better than many old regiments
in the field.
On June 18th, as soon as it was light, our boat
moved up to the wharf and we landed and marched
up hill into the fort.
BUTLER'S IDEA OF THE PLACE.— In speak-
ing of Fort Powhatan, General Butler says:
"It will be observed from the instructions which
I gave General Hinks who commanded the troops
holding Fort Powhatan, that I was exceedingly anx-
ious for the safety of that point because that was the
weak point of my whole position.
For although it was some twelve miles below
City Point on the James, yet if it were once in pos-
session of the enemy, it would be impossible to get
any troops or supplies up the river, as the channel
ran close under it. My experience with Vicksburg,
which was on a bluff high above the possible range
of the guns of the fleet, which were not mortar, told
— 83 —
me that if Fort Powhatan were once captured by
the rebels, it could be easily held against the naval
vessels.
I was anxious lest it be taken by surprise, and
therefore from day to day almost, I persisted in cau-
tioning Major General Hinks, who was in command.
It may be asked why, if it was of so much import-
ance, I entrusted its defenses to a garrison of negro
troops?
TO FIGHT DESPERATELY.— I knew that
they would fight more desperately than any white
troops in order to prevent capture, because they
knew that if captured they would be returned into
slavery under Davis' proclamation, and the officers
commanding them might be murdered. So there
was no danger of a surrender. The capture of Fort
Powhatan or Fort Pocahontas or both by the rebels,
would render it impossible for Grant to cross his
army over the James."
The colored troops held the fort, and Grant's
army was crossing when we got there. We relieved
these colored troops who were expected to do such
desperate fighting.
It can be seen by the foregoing account how im-
portant a duty we had to perform.
On arriving here Colonel Innis, being the rank-
ing officer, assumed command of the post, and turned
over the immediate command of the regiment to
Lieutenant Colonel Ewing.
ALL KINDS OF SOLDIERS.— In the forces
serving here every arm of the service is represented.
Two naval officers in command of gunboats, one
— 84 —
placed above, the other below the fort, a detach-
ment of the Third Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery,
under command of Captain Yon Shilling, a squadron
of cavalry, a detachment of the First New York
Engineers, also a signal corps and telegraph station.
The 133d was now brigaded with the 138th, 143d
and 163d regiments of Ohio Yolunteers, and formed
the 1st Brigade, 3d Division of the 10th Army Corps.
Brigade Headquarters were at Fort Pocahontas
(Wilson's Landing) under command of Brigadier
General Gilman Marston.
While we were here our" duties were various.
For fatigue duty we completed the fort and fortifi-
cations around it in the most substantial manner.
A TROUBLESOME TASK.— Part of our work
was to keep up twenty miles of telegraph line
through a rebel country and connecting General
Grant's headquarters with the government at Wash-
ington City.
The following dispatches will show some of the
work done in this connection^
Fort Powhatan, July 10, 1864.
Major General Butler :
I have had the telegraph wire repaired below
here and I have got reason to believe that the in-
habitants along the line protect and harbor the men
that destroy it. My officer reports that they were
fired upon three times from houses on Cabin Point.
WThat course shall I pursue in regard to citizens
along the line?
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding Post.
— 85 —
Headquarters U. S. Forces,
Fort Powhatan, Va., July 12, 1864.
Major General B. F. Butler, Commanding Department of
Virgiyiia arid North Carolina, General :
Is it expected that I will give all the aid in my
powrer to repair and keep up the U. S. military tele-
graph from this place to Swan Point in preference
to working on the fortifications here?
Very respectfully,
G. S. InnIs,
Colonel Commanding Post.
General Butler's Headquarters,
July 12, 1864.
Col. G. S. Innis :
You will do all you can to keep the telegraph
in repair.
By command of Major General Butler.
R. S. Davis,
A ssistant A djutan t- General.
Fort Powhatan, July 21, 1864.
General Butler :
The telegraph wire is cut again between here
and Swan Point, wThich occurs about every second
or third day. Shall I hold the citizens along the
line responsible that this is not repeated on fear of
having their buildings destroyed near points where
it is cut? Please answer.
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding Post.
— 86 —
Answer.
Headquarters Dep't of Va. and North Carolina,
July 21, 1864—8 p. m.
Colonel G. S. Innis :
Unless citizens give you information before the
act who it is and where they are, that are engaged
in cutting the telegraph, burn their buildings and
catch and hold some of the principal ones as hostages
to be hanged if the outrage is repeated.
Benjamin F. Butler,
Major General.
HOSTAGES TAKEN.—
Headquarters U. S. Forces,
Fort Powhatan, Va., July 23, 1864.
Major General Butler, Commanding Department of Vir-
and North Carolina, General :
I have again repaired the U. S. Military tele-
graph line from this place to Swan Point.
I caused four citizens to be brought in as hos-
tages, and had the people living along the line noti-
fied that they would be held responsible for the
safety of that line. What shall I do with these
hostages? Since they were brought in I have
learned that one of them, a minister, relieved and
dressed the wounds of one of our soldiers, cared for
him till morning, then sent him to this fort.*
I am very respectfully your obedient servant,
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding Post.
-This is the minister referred to in Comrade Ender's account. His name
was Murdock, and his wife claimed to belong to the Custis family, and that
she was a great grand-daughter of Martha Washington.
— 87 —
The guard house was a crude affair, and was cov-
ered only with boughs, so that with the rain we had
it was not a comfortable place to keep the prisoners
in. The Colonel therefore asked if he could not send
them to Bermuda Hundred — as per the following
dispatch:
Fort Powhatan, July 26, 1864.
Major General Butler :
I have arrested three prominent citizens between
here and Swan point held as hostages for safety of
telegraph line. I cannot well keep them here.
Shall I send them to Bermuda Hundred?
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding.
Which General Butler indorsed thus:
Hold onto them, so as to execute them if neces-
sary on the spot.
Benjamin F. Butler.
DESPAIR OF HOSTAGES.— When this in-
dorsement was received Colonel Innis took it to the
guard house and read it to the prisoners. The Rev.
Murdock asked* "Did General Butler send such a
dispatch as that?"
"He certainly did," was answered.
Then turning to his companions the minister
said, "Brethren, give up all hope of life. We are as
dead men."
The Colonel said, "I did not bring this to alarm
you, but to save you. If you will write letters to
your friends telling them the state of affairs and
what General Butler has ordered, I will have them
— 88 —
delivered by my cavalry." They at once fell to writ-
ing urgent letters to their families.
The minister's letter to his wife was very pa-
thetic, and closed "with love to all our family, both
white and black."
The letters were duly delivered and in a couple
of days about three hundred women appeared at our
picket line and desired to come into the fort to inter-
cede for the preacher. They did not seem anxious
about the others, but none were allowed to come in
except Mrs. Murdock.
Another of the hostages was a Mr. Harrison,
who owned a plantation near the fort. He was a
relative of the rebel congressman, W. B. Harrison,
whose plantation we visited, four miles down the
river. He was greatly grieved over his arrest and
shed tears, saying, "Only think, I have always been
opposed to secession, and made twenty-three
speeches against it before Virginia seceded, and now
I am arrested by my own government."
His case was investigated and he was found
loyal and at once released. He used frequently to
come into the fort after that, and nearly always
brought some delicacy to the officers, if nothing more
than a piece of ice.
The effect of General Butler's order was very
good, for we had no more trouble for a while. The
hostages were paroled, as shown below.
HOSTAGES PAROLED.—
Fort Powhatan, Va., July 27, 1864.
General B. F. Butler :
J. J. Deal, a prisoner here pledges his honor as
— 89 —
a man and by everything he holds sacred, should he
be released, to do everything in his power to prevent
the telegraph line from being cut. Should he fail
in this he pledges himself to inform on and guide
our troops to the hiding places of those that cut the
wire. He also wishes to take the oath of allegiance,
leave the State and remove to Cincinnati, Ohio, with
his family. Had I better try him?
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding.
Fort Powhatan, July 28, 1864.
Major General Butler :
I have yet in my custody two hostages. They
both say they are anxious to take the oath of alle-
giance. They pledge themselves to do all in their
power to prevent the telegraph wire from being cut.
They further agree to become answerable with their
lives for the faithful performance of their obligation.
Shall I try them?
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding.
Answer.
Headquarters Dep't Va. and North Carolina,
In the Field July 28, 1864.
Colonel Innis, Fort Powhatan :
Yes. Administer the oath to them all and try
them. Both dispatches received.
Benjamin F. Butler,
Major General.
— 90 —
Fort Powhatan, July 29, 1864.
General B. F. Butler, Commanding , General :
I believe I am in possession of reliable informa-
tion as to the hiding place of the guerrillas who cut
the wires between here and Swan Point. Can you
send me three or four squadrons of cavalry to assist
in capturing them?
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding.
Headquarters Dep't of Va. and North Carolina,
In the Field July 29, 1864—6:40 p. m.
Col. G. S. Innis, Port Powhatan : ~
Keep watch of the guerrillas. I will send you
cavalry in a couple of days.
J. W. Shaffer,
Colonel and Chief of Staff.
KILLED BY BUSHWHACKERS.— In spite of
all our caution, several of our garrison were killed
by concealed rebels, but fortunately none of them
were members of the 133d.
CHAPTER XI.
EXCITING AND DANGEROUS SERVICE.—
The following sketch of this telegraph service is
given by Comrade John C. Ender, now of Chicago,
who was detailed to assist in the repairs.
He says: "This duty took me out on the road
every morning with a squad of Company D., First
U. S. Colored Cavalry, as the wires were cut every
night after midnight. On our first trip we had only
one wagon, which was drawn by a pair of old worn-
out mules with a plow harness which had been in
existence for many moons, and which consisted of
bridle, collar, hames and traces, there being no back-
straps, belly-bands or saddles. The command was in
the habit of bringing in colored refugees. On this
day a colored man joined the party with a view of
bringing in his family and what furniture he could
carry with the meagre outfit we had. We reached
the spot where we found the wire cut, without any
opposition, and repaired it. We expected to feed,
allowing the man with the team to get his family
a few miles beyond, when we were notified by a col-
ored man that a party of rebel cavalry, several hun-
dred strong, had just crossed a few miles away and
were heading toward us. The captain said we must
retrace our steps at once, advising me and Andy
Renner of Company I., who was with us, to mount
the mules, and should we be attacked to cut the
hame straps and leave the wagon.
— 92 —
In this position we rode six or seven miles on
lean mules, without saddle or blanket. We were
well satisfied to know we were out of reach of the
enemy. This made us apply to our worthy quarter-
master Bancroft for horses, of which several stray
ones had been brought in from the surrounding
country.
The regiment will all remember our return daily
from these trips as we invariably got in when the
regiment was on dress parade outside of the fort,
and always got a cheer when we showed a good
supply of forage, of which the old carriage was al-
ways well filled. After getting a mount, my duty
called me to City Point. The telegraph wire be-
tween City Point and Fort Powhatan was in less
danger than between Powhatan and Swan Point.
We considered it safe to go alone or in pairs to City
Point. I always went as an escort. We were al-
ways on the lookout for a surprise.
HALT. — On one occasion, when about seven or
eight miles out from City Point, we met three Confed-
erate cavalry coming down a crossroad. We got out
on the road too far and saw we were noted. Know-
ing our nearest shelter was the outpost of City Point,
we headed in that direction. Having miscalculated
our distance, we ran on our vidette post before we
saw him, as the sun was shining very bright in our
faces, and the cavalry picket was under the shade
of a small tree. We heard the word "Halt!" and
looking in the direction of the voice we saw the
bright barrel of his carbine pointing directly at me.
To check up and dismount was but one movement.
— 93 —
When we approached and explained our haste, the
soldier with pale face and excitement said he had
seen the same three rebs only an hour before recon-
noitering, and thought they dared to charge him,
and only for our blue uniforms, which he noticed as
we approached, he would have pulled the trigger.
We were thankful for his good judgment, and only
after a long rest and with many good wishes did we
continue our journey.
Our quarters at City Point were at General
Grant's headquarters at the White House on the
point of the river. It was there I traded the gray
mare which had been picked up outside of Pow-
hatan, having been run down and turned loose
as being unfit for any further use. She had picked
up considerably and was in fair condition. The
roan horse I traded her for gave entire satisfaction
to our quartermaster, being in much better condi-
tion. I learned afterward that the gray mare was
shipped to Washington. Not having been branded
she was private property, and being quite a fleet ani-
mal, she won in several races. The roan horse was
kept at Powhatan.
I had many a pleasant trip to City Point with
hardly enough incidents to mention here. A case
of endurance came before my notice while with the
telegraph corps at Powhatan.
PITIFUL CASE.— On one of our trips out to re-
pair the wire we met the old minister of Cabin Point
(whose name I have forgotten), about seven miles
out, with a wornout cavalry horse, a rope harness,
and a home-made two-wheeled cart. Upon it he was
— 94 —
bringing a wounded Union soldier who had reached
his house the evening before in a nearly exhausted
condition. I was detailed to return with them to
Powhatan. On the way back the man gave me the
history of his sad experience and how he was
wounded. He belonged to an Eastern regiment
which was just returning with Wilson's command
from what was known as Wilson's Kaid.
Many of the horses besides his comrades' and
his own gave out on the retreat, and in order to keep
up with the command they abandoned their horses
and set out across the country. Three of the men
got cut off from the rest and -were captured by bush-
whackers, who pressed them back out of sight of
the command, expecting, as they said, to capture
more. Towards evening they gave it up and while
going through the woods, they, without a moments'
notice, shot the three prisoners. The next morning
this man revived, having been shot five times. His
two comrades were dead. He remembered crossing
a small stream just before the firing commenced.
Wending his way back as best he could, he reached
the creek and threw himself into it, which made him
feel quite refreshed. While he lay on the bank dry-
ing himself he knew not what his fate would be,
when, as if by magic, there came a wornout govern-
ment horse (the one hitched to the cart) which had
strayed to the creek looking for water.
The animal noticing the blue uniform, came at
his call, and with great effort he mounted it thinking
it might get him out of the woods. They wandered
about till dark, when the man spied a light ahead.
— 95 —
Guiding his horse in the direction of the light
brought him out on the road and to the house of the
minister of Cabin Point.
The presence of the soldier made the minister
uneasy, as the rebel scouts, bushwhackers and regu-
lar cavalry were on the lookout in the neighborhood
at all times, and to find him harboring a Union sol-
dier would be resented by revenge. However, as the
poor fellow could go no further, he was obliged to
shelter him. Placing the wounded man on the rear
porch, he rigged up the cart outfit and started with
him towards Powhatan, in which condition we met
them on our trip out. We placed him in the hospital
at the Fort, where our surgeon examined him and
gave very little hope for his recovery. In a few days
he was sent by boat to Washington, where we lost
trace of him. After twenty-two years I read an ac-
count in an eastern paper, giving the dates and loca-
tions as I have stated them, saying the man was still
alive, but never had been able to walk again, one side
being paralyzed from the wounds.
He was applying for an increase of pension. I
forwarded the clipping to Mr. Phillip Bruck, of Co-
lumbus, who was our Hospital Steward at Fort Pow-
hatan, who wrote me that he remembered the man
and the circumstance quite well. I lost the man's
address and so never had an opportunity of getting
any further information regarding this wonderful
case.
A RUN FOR LIFE.— One of my never-to-be-for-
gotten adventures while serving with the telegraph
corps happened shortly before we left Fort Powhatan.
— 96 —
The rebels got bolder every day, as they found our
force was quite small. Our Colonel no doubt re-
members the incident, as thereafter a large force
accompanied the repair men. The old saying,
"What is one man's loss is another man's gain",
came true on the trip out in question. On the day
previous, the 1st Lieutenant of Company D., 1st U.
S. Colored Cavalry, was thrown from his horse,
which was a very vicious animal, and got badly hurt.
That evening I got him to consent to let me ride the
animal out the next day. We started about day-
break in the morning, got beyond Brandon Mills and
found the wire cut. In testing between us and Swan
Point we found the circuit also broken. We spliced
the wire and started to find the next break, which
we did at a place called Spring Grove, about eleven
miles out. There the wire ran across lots to the
next crossroad. The old man upon whose planta-
tion the wire was cut, told us that some 300
southern cavalry had just gone by and cut the wire.
We tested and found all right, but a break between
us and Fort Powhatan, which had been made since
we left a few hours before. The Lieutenant said,
"This means trouble." We were only about fifty
men. One white officer, 2nd Lieutenant of Company
D., 1st TJ. S. Colored Cavalry, the man who repaired
the wire, and myself with testing battery. The bal-
ance were all colored troops. We repaired the wire
in the field and notified the man of the place.
General Butler had given strict orders to arrest
any person upon whose place the wire was found cut.
With the explanation he gave us, we concluded
— 97 —
to report our finding and arrest him later if the
authorities thought proper. Making our way back
to find the new break, we met a colored woman who
told us her boy had just come from near Brandon
Mills and had met a large body of southern cavalry.
They had taken down a large stretch of wire, where
the line runs through the woods, had placed trip-
wires across the road, and a fence of rails back of
it. The Lieutenant said, "They have laid a trap.
The party who cut the wire through the field is not
the same which is between us and Powhatan. Their
game is to start us toward the trap and massacre
the whole outfit, as they are bitter against white of-
ficers of colored troops and never give the colored
troops any quarter. We have no time for planning.
To go to the river means to get caught. If we go
farther into the country we are liable to meet larger
forces, as scouts from Petersburg are always out
there. We have only one remedy — to cut our way
through. I will take four men for advance guard,
go to the trap, take up the wire and take down the
fence. They will not be likely to fire on so small a
force. At the first fire you must all come forward
on a charge." As the Lieutenant afterwards ex-
plained, there was no firing until they had several
rails off the fence. His horse cleared the obstruc-
tion, when from the woods near by voices hallooed.
By this time the advance had the wire loose and quite
a gap in the fence, when a continuous firing com-
menced. The vicious horse I had did me good ser-
vice, clearing the gap without a break. The whole
command scattered along by ones and twos. There
were two killed and several wounded. Some had
their horses shot and did not get to the fort for sev-
eral days. As we left there shortly afterwards I
never heard a full report of the engagement."
SHAMEFUL OUTRAGE.— The two mentioned
by Comrade Ender as being killed were colored cav-
alrymen.
The rebels stripped their bodies of clothing,
mutilated them shamefully and left them in the pub-
lic road. This action of the rebs called for revenge,
and it was partly for this purpose that the expedition
spoken of below by Comrade Westervelt was sent
out.
CHAPTER XII.
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE. — Comrade
(now the Rev.) H. B. Westervelt gives the follow-
ing account of an "outing" of his in connection with
the telegraph.
"The special service required of us was to keep
the river open and to protect the telegraph line.
This, by the way, was the great problem. A
telegraph line runs out into the country, across
streams, over bogs, through forests, along miles and
miles of lonely roadway. An army might not get
there, but a few men could work through, and cov-
ered by the dense underbrush which filled those pine
forests, could go where they wished, and be com-
pletely concealed at almost any point. As would
be expected, the wires were cut very frequently.
The line men were kept busy. Scouting parties
were frequently sent out. A few prisoners were
brought in, but the nuisance was unabated. Often
before the scouts or repairers got in, the wires would
be broken again. This state of affairs gave rise to
the incident I am asked to relate.
On Monday, August 1st, I came off picket duty
and was allowed to rest during most of the day. In
the evening, about the time we were spreading our
blankets, some one called my name. I went out and
was taken a little ways from the tent and the case
was laid before me.
— 100 —
The interruption of communications through the
cutting of the wires was becoming very annoying,
indeed almost unbearable. Our present methods
were thoroughly inadequate. The enemy could
dodge us every time and slip up and cut the wires
even before the retiring scouts were out of hearing.
The only way to stop it would be to go out and lie for
them, watch the wires and be on hand to intercept
the mischief. Lieutenant Darrah (of Company A.)
had volunteered to lead a party of this kind, and he
wanted only men who had seen previous service.
Would I be one of them?
It can be seen that a service of this kind was
not particularly desirable. "Lying in the brush" did
not count for much, but the service asked was one
of peculiar and extreme peril. Our neighbors, across
the line did not hesitate to conceal themselves and
shoot down our troops, but they were greatly horri-
fied if we should undertake it, and parties wearing
the blue and doing that kind of thing, would, prob-
ably, if captured, be hung to the nearest tree.
I remember while we were talking our Colonel
with whom I was well acquainted, rode up and in-
sisted that there was no compulsion toward such a
service, and rather dissuaded me from going. I told
the messenger that if Lieutenant Darrah was going
and wanted me, I would be one of his squad.
I returned to my tent, got my accoutrements,
and was away. It was held necessary to keep the
matter an entire secret, so I said nothing to my tent-
mates, except that I was on duty. We were gone
nearly thirty-six hours and when we returned my
— 101 —
comrades merely supposed I was on an extended
term as picket somewhere.
A NIGHT TRIP.— We left camp about one
o'clock in the night or early morning of the 2d. We
marched to Brandon Church, an abandoned Episco-
pal church about five miles out, then quietly worked
our way out along the line to a crossroad some three-
quarters of a mile further on, reaching there just as
day was breaking. Here we concealed ourselves in
the brush. There was a house just across the road,
and not more than six or eight rods from where we
wrere concealed. We could hear the humming of the
spinning wheel all day. In the morning the children
came out in the road and seeing our footprints in the
dust, wondered how so many footmarks got there.
We, not more than fifty feet off, almost held our
breath till they went away. We lay there all day
and not an inmate of that house had the least idea
that a soldier was nearer than the fort. At night
guards were told off, and the rest lay down to sleep.
But now another problem presented itself. We had
left the fort hurriedly and with the greatest secrecy.
Hence provisions were running low, indeed they were
scarce when we started. We had no wish to return
without accomplishing something, so a couple started
out to find a colored family whom they knew, to get
corn pone for the crowd. There were thirteen of us.
At eleven o'clock I went on guard. I was ordered
to be very careful until our foragers came in, after
which I was to challenge no one, but shoot at any-
one who should come along. Soon our boys came in
with the word that they had been successful, but
— 102 —
would have to return about two o'clock, as the
"Auntie" would have to bake the pone. It was rain-
ing a little and was very dark. The company was all
asleep but the Corporal (Joe Gregg, my tentmate,
now Department Commander of the G. A. K. of Mon-
tana) lay by my side telling me to wake him if I
heard anything, or at the expiration of my time.
A CRITICAL MOMENT.— Between twelve and
one o'clock I heard the sound of horses approaching
from the direction of the church and fort.
I pushed Joe and we were ready. Two men
came on horses to the crossroads where we were ly-
ing, and turned off the telegraph road into the one
running west. They checked up at once and one
said, "I guess there are no scouts out to-night" (Joe
declared "he said Yankee scouts", but I did not catch
that). "No, it is a bully night for us!" They now
turned back upon the telegraph road and Joe fired.
One man threw up his hands and cried out, "Oh! my
God! Fm shot! I'm killed!" The other spurred up
and caught and held him on his horse, crying out,
"For God's sake, men, don't shoot! You are firing
on your own men." During this time I held my fire.
It is a serious thing to shoot a man, and if that man
was one of us it would be calamitous. "Friends to
whom?" shouted our lieutenant. "Friends to the
Southern flag." Then I fired, but the horses were
plunging, they were further off, and the aim was not
true. The horses galloped back toward the church,
and we gathered up our traps and got ready for
action.
OUR ESCAPE.— The lieutenant decided that as
— 103 —
we were now located, our position was perilous, and
we had better move. It would not do to start di-
rectly for the fort. The horsemen had gone that
way and we would probably meet a force too strong
for us.
In the pine woods of the South there are few
fences, and the roads or driveways are numerous.
This was fortunate for us.
We struck out eastwardly from our ambush.
As we went out that road the enemy returned along
the telegraph line toward the point of ambush.
About a mile east we struck another road running
west toward the church and fort. We turned into
this; the enemy following on the road east. It will
thus be seen that as we passed along one side of the
triangle, they followed us on another.
We finally reached the church and as it adjoined
a swamp we concluded to lie there until daylight.
There were woods all around us. We lay close to,
and east of the church in some tall grass and under
the boughs of a tree. The enemy had probably some
thirty or forty men, but in the darkness they had no
way of learning our strength nor exact position,
without more risk than they cared to assume.
We heard them on three sides of us at once as
they reconnoitered, but after an hour or so every-
thing grew still.
TICKLISH RECONNOITERING.— Before long
the lieutenant, hopeful and jet suspicious, ordered
me to cross the often space north to a ravine run-
ning out from the swamp to see whether I could find
anything. He had probably forgotten that my turn
- 104 —
as guard had expired. Now I never was inclined
to boast of courage when in the face of danger, but
this time I am frank to confess I was afraid. In
crossing that space of perhaps one hundred yards I
did not take one step. That was the only time in my
life that I emulated a snake and sighed for greater
thinness. Bless the man that invented tall grass I
I made the trip, investigated among the trees, satis-
fied myself that the enemy had disappeared, and then
lest I might become satisfied that he had returned
I got down and crawled back utterly oblivious of
the fact that it had rained and that tall grass when
wet, does not add to one's appearance.
We lay there till towards day, then shifted our
position and in the morning marched back to the
fort. Parties coming in during the day brought word
that the man shot had died and his body had been
left in the old mill.
RATHER DO SOMETHING ELSE.— One well
grounded preference was stamped on my mind. I
had been under fire, been in battle, gone on scouts,
and I would rather do them all (at once if possible)
than to play bushwhacker. It is not pleasant in it-
self, and the outlook if captured is miserable.
One thing more I am sure of: Soldiers can if
necessary be quiet. For nearly thirty-six hours our
band did not speak above a whisper.
One other reminiscence is in place. We missed
our corn-pone. It never hunted us up, and we
charged it to profit and loss."
TERRIBLE PUNISHMENT.— The rebels soon
organized another force for the purpose of cutting
— 105 —
the wire and doing us such other harm as they couldj
It consisted of ten men under a Captain Ruffin who
was a native of the neighborhood.
Colonel Innis was soon informed of this fact and
of their movements by the man who brought honey,
butter, eggs, etc., to the fort for sale to the officers.
He was a half simple looking fellow who was not
considered fit for service in the rebel army, and so
was allowed to remain at home, but he proved a keen
observer of operations in his vicinity and brought
valuable information to the commandant at the fort.
The Colonel learned that this band was in the habit
of taking supper at midnight at a certain house, as
did the other band. He telegraphed to General But-
ler asking for one hundred cavalry, saying he thought
a good service could be done by them. The dispatch
was sent in the morning and along toward evening
a couple of boats were seen coming down the river
full of men and horses. Arriving opposite the fort
they rounded to and landed a hundred cavalry under
command of Major Hamilton who said he was a
grandson of Alexander Hamilton of revolutionary
fame. Colonel Innis gave him a map of the locality
to be visited and told him he wished to hear that in
the morning he had eleven prisoners or that there
were eleven new graves at Brandon Mills. Next
morning as the colonel was dressing, Major Hamil-
ton's adjutant appeared and said, "Colonel Innis, the
Major sends his compliments and reports that there
are eleven new graves at Brandon Mills."
The adjutant gave the details of the affair. The
rebels entered the house designated and were at sup-
— 106 —
per when our force surrounded the place. A sergeant
with a dozen men was sent to demand their surren-
der. Opening the door he marched his men in and
made his demand. Instead of surrendering they en-
deavored to escape by the windows and were sabred
by the troops outside, not a shot being fired.
CHAPTER XIII.
GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.— Our most im-
portant duty was to guard the James, so as to allow
the passage of vessels back and forth with troops
and supplies and wounded and prisoners. The river
being the main thoroughfare to the seat of war it
was very necessary to keep it open. There was
hardly any time that boats could not be seen going
and coming. Sometimes as many as thirty were in
sight at once.
When the rebels were firing on our transports,
the passing boats hove to under the guns of the fort,
till there was quite a fleet of them, passing on as
soon as the danger was over.
Some of the vessels conveying prisoners were
fairly swarming with Johnnies in their butternut
suits. They seemed to take their captivity very
cheerfully, and when we would cheer at their pass-
ing they would yell lustily in return.
One thing that bore evidence of the destruction
that war causes, was the number of dead mules that
floated down the river.
It was a common occurrence for the enemy to
attack our shipping loaded with supplies for the army
investing Petersburg and Richmond.
The guns of Fort Powhatan were turned upon
these raiders, and in no instance was the foe sue-
— 108 —
cessful in capturing a boat or the least article on its
way for the convenience or subsistence of our com-
rades at the front.
BE VIGILANT.— Frequently while at this fort,
the commandant would receive a note of warning
from General Grant's headquarters informing him
of the importance of being vigilant in the discharge
of his duty as to watchfulness, and being at all times
fully prepared to repel an attack from the enemy,
and these notes wound up generally by saying, "The
safety of this whole army depends largely on your
vigilance at Fort Powhatan."
DID NOT WANT TO GO.— Lieutenant Bald-
win, the engineer officer in charge, was afraid he
would be sent to the front and therefore delayed the
finishing of Fort Powhatan all he dared. He made
considerable complaint about not being furnished
with men for the work. He also was a pretty hard
drinker, which interfered with his usefulness.
The following are some of the dispatches in ref-
erence to the work of completing the fort :
Headquarters Dep't Va. and North Carolina,
In the Field July 14, 1864.
Colonel Innis, Fort Powhatan :
The commanding general directs that you will
state at once by telegraph why you cannot furnish
at least 100 men daily for engineer fatigue duty and
this fatigue to work all day.
G. Weitzel.
Brigadier General and Chief Engineer.
— 109 —
Answer.
Headquarters U. S. Forces,
Fort Powhatan, Va., July 15, 1864.
Brigadier General G. Weitzel, Chlej of Staff, General :
Your telegram of July 14th received at 7 A. M.
this day. I put every available man on engineer
fatigue till I received General Order No. 6 from di-
vision headquarters requiring me to drill in school
of soldier and company at least three hours per day,
and one hour additional in battalion drill.
I soon after received from brigade headquarters
a time table for these drills dividing them between
the A. M. and P. M.
This I soon got modified on application to Gen-
eral Marston so as to allow me to do fatigue duty
A. M., and all the drilling P. M.
Since then I have been furnishing in the A. M.
all the men for engineer fatigue requested by Lieu-
tenant Baldwin.
I am, general, very respectfully your obedient
servant,
G. S. Innis,
Colonel 133d Regiment Ohio National Guard Commanding Post.
HURRY UP THE FORTIFICATIONS.—
Headquarters Dep't of Va. and North Carolina,
In the Field July 15, 1864—11:30 a. m.
Colonel Innis, Fort Powhatan :
The general commanding directs that you sus-
pend all drills at your post until all the engineering
operations are complete.
— 110 —
You will put every man not on picket or other
military duty on fatigue daily, to work at least eight
hours per day until the work is finished.
The general commanding further directs that
you notify General Marston of this order. The work
must be finished at once for the sake of General
Grant's whole army.
G. Weitzel,
Brigadier General.
Headquarters Dep't Va. and North Carolina,
In the Field, July 15, 1864.
Lieutenant Baldwin :
Colonel Innis has been~directed to put every
available man on engineer fatigue duty to work at
least eight hours daily. Drills are suspended. You
will push the work to completion at once. Don't let
any grass grow under your feet. Get through and
then come away with your party.
G. Weitzel,
Brigadier General.
Headquarters Dep't of Va. and North Carolina,
In the Field July 25, 1864—6:40 p. m.
Lieutenant Baldwin, First New York Volunteer Engineers: Fort
Powhatan :
When will you get through with your work?
Please answer at once.
G. Weitzel,
Brigadier General.
Fort Powhatan, July 25, 1864.
Brigadier General Weitzel:
Unless I get details more promptly I cannot tell.
— Ill —
This forenoon I had none. This P. M. I required
100 at one o'clock and got only 50 at three P. M. I
report to commander of post, but get no more men.
There seems to be no system about fatigue detail.
Baldwin,
Lieutenant Engineers.
July 25, 1864—10:35 p. m.
Colonel Innis, Commanding at Fort Powhatan :
How many infantry have you for duty? How
many do guard and picket duty daily?
G. Weitzel,
Brigadier General.
STRENGTH OF GARRISON.—
Fort Powhatan, July 26, 1864.
Brigadier General Weitzel:
General: — I have infantry for duty as follows:
One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment Ohio Na-
tional Guard, 504 men, detachment Third Pennsyl-
vania Heavy Artillery, 79 men, Company L. First
New York Volunteer Engineers, 59 men; total 642
men. These are employed as follows: Heavy Ar-
tillery on fort and fortifications, 47 of engineers on
fort and for the magazine, 120 men of the One Hun-
dred and Thirty-third Ohio National Guard on guard
and picket duty daily, 120 more are relieved from
picket at 10 A. M. daily, generally excused for bal-
ance of the day, 150 men One Hundred and Thirty-
third Ohio National Guard on daily engineer fatigue
on fortifications and magazines about two or three
times each wTeek. I have to send from 50 to 150 men
— 112 —
to repair U. S. military telegraph line from this place
to Swan Point, absent from one to two days each
time. Ten to 15 men Ohio National Guard at work
on lookout. Yesterday very wet A. M. In P. M.
division inspector here inspecting One Hundred and
Thirty-third Ohio National Guard.
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding.
Fort Powhatan, Va., July 26, 1864.
Brigadier General Weitzel:
General: — Is it expected at department head-
quarters that I will personally superintend details
on engineer fatigue duty or shall I, as heretofore,
place such details under the superintendence of
Lieutenant Baldwin?
Am I held responsible for any insufficiency of
his superintendence?
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding.
Headquarters Dep't Va. and North Carolina,
In the Field July 26, 1864—10 a. m.
General Innis :
Your dispatch received. Assist the engineers as
much as possible and get that work done.
G. Weitzel,
Brigadier General and Acting Chief of Staff.
INEFFICIENT OFFICER.—
Fort Powhatan, Va., July 26, 1864.
Received 8:40 p. m.
General Weitzel :
General : — I consider Lieutenant Baldwin a very
— 113 —
inefficient officer. He sometimes keeps fatigue de-
tails waiting from half to one and a half hours before
he gets ready to get them to work. One-half the men
under proper management could turn off more work.
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding.
July 26, 1864.
Colonel Innis, Fort Powhatan :
It is only expected that you furnish all details
he asks for with promptitude. You are not respon-
sible for his inefficiency.
If you think he is inefficient, it is your duty to
report him to these headquarters at once. I can
send a better officer, but do not care to make the
change just now.
G. Weitzkl,
Brigadier General and Acting Chief of Staff.
A BETTER ONE.—
Headquarters Dep't of Va. and North Carolina,
In The Field July 29, 1864.
Colonel Innis, Commanding Fort Powhatan :
I have sent you a driving engineer officer. You
had better hurry up. General Grant is making
movements that may lead to an attack on you. Get
your works done quick. Give the engineer officer all
your help.
G. Weitzel,
Brigadier General and Acting Chief of Staff.
The new engineer officer was Captain S. C Eaton,
a gentlemanly and energetic man, and the works
— 114 —
were soon finished. On making a tour of observa-
tion with the Colonel, he commended the works all
round and when he came in said, "Colonel, the devil
himself couldn't get in here now, even with his wife
to help him."
LIFE AT THE FORT.— I will now return to the
time of our arrival at the fort. After marching up
the hill we pitched our tents, both inside and outside
the fort, those outside being within the line of fortifi-
cations and of easy access to the fort in case of an
attack. Some of the men built up poles or boards
a foot or two high and put their tents on top of that,
thus making quite a roomy place. We then cleaned
up the ground, dug trenches around the tents and
along the streets in front of them for drainage, and
had quite a respectable camp.
THE NEAT 133d.— In fact the One Hundred
and Thirty -third was always noted for the neat man-
ner in which they did everything. When we estab-
lished our camp at Bermuda Hundred the boys did it
so nicely that it attracted the attention of General
Foster.
He came galloping by with his staff and when in
front of our camp suddenly reined in his horse, almost
bringing him on his haunches. "By George!" he ex-
claimed, "whose camp is this?" "The One Hundred
and Thirty-third Ohio, answered some one. "Send
your commander to me." Colonel Innis appeared
and saluted.
The general said, "Colonel, I want to compliment
you on the neatness of your camp. You have the
nicest camp in Bermuda Hundred." The Colonel
— 115 —
thanked General Foster for the compliment and
added, "I ought to be able to lay out a camp for I
am a civil engineer when at home."
It is probable that our neatness and dispatch,
as shown in this and building our bomb proofs was
the reason we were sent to finish up the works at
Fort Powhatan.
SOUL INSPIRING WHISKEY.— After we were
established at the fort the Post Adjutant complained
that he had no suitable place to keep the papers
which it was necessary to preserve for reference.
The Colonel requested Captain Von Shilling to
send him a man to fix up a cupboard with pigeon
holes for this purpose. The man did a nice job,
which so pleased the officer that he offered him a
dollar for doing it so well. The soldier refused to
take it, saying he never charged gentlemen for doing
work well, but on leaving remarked that at some
other time he might ask a favor of the colonel. On
the morning of the Fourth of July this man came to
Headquarters with the following request in writing:
Dear Colonel! — Won't you let an old soldier have
a canteen full of whiskey to let him know that he has
a soul on this glorious Fourth of July?
The James River opposite Fort Powhatan is
about three-fourths of a mile wide and one hundred
and fourteen feet deep. The tide rises from three
to four feet, and when it goes out leaves the marshes
above the fort uncovered for a space of several acres.
It was much sport for the boys, especially the colored
cavalrymen to wade out into the mud with a stick
in hand and capture fish which were left behind by
— 116 —
the receding tide and were trying to get back to deep
water by wriggling along the little rills that were
left.
In striking at the fish they would send the thin
ooze flying in all directions and got so splattered up
that they looked as though they were convalescing
from smallpox.
There is a wooden gunboat just below the fort
and an ironclad a short distance above, being sta-
tioned here to look after matters. We can hear
heavy cannonading in the direction of Petersburg,
it has been almost a continual roar all day.
GOOD MARKSMANSHIP.— The next day after
arriving here (19th) we had dress parade and guard
mounting only. We held Sunday-school on the bank of
the river below the fort. Some rebels appeared across
the river during the afternoon. Our officers could
see them plainly through their glasses and concluded
to let them have a few doses from the guns of the fort.
A shot or two caused them to take refuge behind the
house of a rebel Major Dothat living on the road just
beyond the river. Captain Von Shilling asked the
colonel to let him shoot through the house but the
colonel thought there might be women and children
within and withheld permission. Von Shilling
then said, "I would like to take about three bricks
off the top of the chimney." He was told he might
try it, and at the next shot the bricks flew, and the
rebs got out and skedaddled. Within a short time
an old darkey appeared on the bank of the river
with a white flag.
A boat was sent and brought him to the fort.
— 117 —
He was taken before the commandant and said,
"Massa Colonel, my ole missus say will yo' please
stop firin' at de house. De las' shot took tree bricks
offen de top ob de chimbly." He was told that as
long as they did not harbor the rebs they would be
safe, and returned to his home.
Matters settled down to a routine. In addition
to the usual roll call, sick call, guard mounting, dress
parade, etc., the fatigue detail is made each day, and
takes nearly all the well men we have. They work
eight hours a day, from 6 to 10, and from 2 to 6,
and are completing the fort quite rapidly. Those
who are working on the fortifications are furnished
a dose of whiskey and quinine each day, so are those
working on the bomb proofs.
CHAPTER XIV.
SUPPLY TRAIN ATTACKED.— On the 25th
Grant's wagon train and the guard accompanying it
are camped on the opposite side of the river. They
were attacked by the rebels yesterday in strong force,
and had a hard time to save the train, but succeeded,
losing quite heavily in both men and horses, and also
one gun. The commander of the rear guard said
that their horses gave out, and he had ordered 170
of them killed to prevent their falling into the hands
of the enemy.
We heard very heavy firing yesterday in the direc-
tion they came from, which was no doubt their fight.
They were four days coming from White House and
intended to reach City Point direct, but were headed
off by the enemy and found themselves opposite Pow-
hatan instead of City Point.
GENERAL SHERIDAN HUNGRY.— Colonel
Innis went across to pay his respects to General
Sheridan who was in command. The general said
they had started with only one day's rations and had
used up everything. He himself had got so hungry
that he offered a soldier a dollar for one hard-tack,
telling him it was for the general, but the soldier
would not sell it. The rebels seemed very deter-
mined in their efforts to capture the train and could
have done so had they known the weakness of the
— 119 —
escort. They are crossing here now, about eight
hundred wagons and twelve thousand troops to guard
them. It makes a great army. The mules are very
large and fine.
IN A CRITICAL SITUATION.— An incident
occurred in connection with this passing army which
caused the parties to it considerable anxiety for a
time, but eventually it all came out right through the
kindness of Secretary of War, Stanton.
It was this: Comrade John B. Waters, of Com-
pany C, was very sick at this time. His son was a
member of the 13th O. V. I., then with Sheridan's
command. The young man paid his father a visit
and finding him in a dangerous condition yielded to
his filial affection and remained with him without
taking the trouble to obtain leave of absence. The
elder Waters was taken to Fortress Monroe where
he died on August 10th.
His wife had been notified of his sickness and
came on in time to meet the regiment at Washington,
expecting to find her husband sick, but instead found
his body being conveyed home by his son and com-
rades. In addition to the great shock of this, she
learned the position her son was in and was indeed
greatly worried. She appealed to the colonel and
at his suggestion they went with him to see the Sec-
retary of War, and lay the case before him. Fortune
favored them, for they found the busy Secretary
alone. It was about nine o'clock in the morning
and he had just arrived at his office.
The visitors were shown in at once and after
listening to a recital of of the circumstances this
— 120 —
brusque and busy man said, "Well, I will fix that,"
and he at once wrote young Waters a furlough for
sixty days, dating it back so as to cover the time he
had been absent without leave. Handing it to him
he said, "This will fix matters all right for the time
you have lost and give you an opportunity to accom-
pany your mother home and recuperate your health
which I see is not good, and when your furlough ex-
pires you can rejoin your regiment and do your duty
manfully." You may be sure that Waters and his
mother were greatly relieved and thanked Mr. Stan-
ton sincerely for his kindness in extricating the son
from his dangerous position. "
WILSON'S KAID.— On the 30th we heard heavy
firing in the direction of Petersburg and next day
there came into our camp a good many of our Union
soldiers from that direction. Some of them are
badly wounded.
PECULIAK WOUNDS.— Among them two
Lieutenant Colonels, who, to all appearances, are
shot directly through the body, but they are walking
about and the surgeons say that the balls passed
around under the skin, blistering all the way, and
came out on the opposite side, it being a very curious
coincidence that two were shot in the same way.
They both said when they were shot they fell and
thought they were killed, but found after a little that
they could get up. They then got on their horses
and came in with the troops. One boy of about
seventeen years had fourteen bullet and buckshot
holes in him and yet was in a fair way to recover.
These men say they started twelve days ago with
— 121 —
eight thousand men went around Petersburg tore up
the different railroads, burned depots, government
stores and destroyed six thousand stand of arms for
the enemy. But when they got within a few miles
of our post they encountered the rebels strongly en-
trenched and ready for them. They had a hard fight
and had to destroy all their guns before they left
them. Some of the gunners would shed tears while
relating the loss of their guns.
This was the firing we heard, and the reason it
sounded so loud was that it was only eight miles
from us.
The men who came in here showed the effects of
the hard service they had gone through.
PLANTATION DAKKIES.— Quite a large num-
ber of contrabands came about this time. They were
very ignorant and most of them very black and said
they had been looking for the Yankees for a long
time. They were dressed in all sorts of clothing.
One shiny black fellow had on a black cloth prince
Albert coat and pants, the latter tucked into a pair
of officer's cavalry boots, and a soldier cap. Another
had a pair of faded jeans pants, a cotton shirt, and
nothing else except a rag on his sore toe.
These two were leaders in a dance which they
all indulged in on parade ground. The music was
furnished by an old tin messpan, with one patting
juber, and an old white-headed darkey lining out a
hymn in the old-fashioned Methodist way.
They all entered into the dance with a great deal
of energy, and seemed as happy as if they were at
home, surrounded by all the comforts of life. But
— 122 —
they certainly did not know much about comfort,
judging by what one of them said.
He was told that he might take some straw and
occupy a vacant tent. He answered, "Oh, no use
goin' to so much trubble as dat foh a niggah! I
alius sleeps in de fence connah to home."
MARRIAGE NOT A FAILURE.— Some of them
had never gone through the formality of being mar-
ried and now wished to avail themselves of the privi-
lege of being married by a minister, and to have
their children christened. The chaplain was in a
quandary which to do first, until the colonel helped
him out by suggesting that up north the marriage
usually came first. About twenty couples were
legally united, but the spectators did not make haste
to salute the brides as we do at home. All waited
for the chaplain and colonel to take the lead, but in
this solitary instance they lacked courage.
In 1893, while surveying in Clinton Township,
Franklin County, Ohio., Colonel Innis came near a
house occupied by colored people. An old colored
woman, weighing about three hundred pounds,
waddled up to the fence, and addressed him thus:
"Lawd, honey! Yo' doesn't know me, does yo'?"
"No, I do not remember you."
"Well, honey! Fse one ob dem dat was married
at de fort when yous was down dere. Ise a good cook
an I want yo' to come in an take dinner wid me, an
put your hoss in de stable dar."
"We brought dinner and horse feed with us, but
if you will make coffee, we will bring our dinner and
put it on your table and we'll all have dinner to-
— 123 —
gether." Which was done to the delight of the old
woman.
CHANGE OF DIET.— Our rations here are
varied quite a good deal. A bakery has been estab-
lished and furnishes us with soft bread every second
day. The boys go out and gather blackberries and
the baker makes them pies on the shares.
Our cooks were not professionals, and I have not
heard that the Astors or Vanderbilts have since the
war secured the services of any of them for their
own private use, but they usually managed to have
the pork and beans done so we could eat it, especially
when we had been on picket or fatigue duty.
You will all remember what a profusion of sil-
verware we had on the table, and how careful we were
not to soil the table cloth.
Of course we always had napkins and flowers
on the table.
Then how attentive and deferential the waiters
always were.
Sometimes the boys would get tired of so much
style and would endeavor to cook for themselves,
and they most all used about the same ingredients
for their dishes, viz: Hard-tack, rice, beans, and
sowbelly. The first and last more constantly than
the others.
When you take half a dozen hard-tack, put them
in your haversack and pound them with the butt end
of your musket, soak them in water a while, and then
fry them in the grease from the previously fried pork,
you have a fine dish, and glad to get it. That is if
— 124 —
you are hungry. The hard-tack were nice to eat dry,
they polished your teeth so well.
The Sanitary Commission sends tea, pickles,
onions, etc., of which we get a taste once in a while.
There are hundreds of acres of neglected land about
here which is grown up with brush and blackberry
bushes, and it is easy enough to get all the berries
one wants.
SUPERFLUOUS.— One of the soldiers' aid so-
cieties, ever mindful of the boys in the field, thought
they would send us something nice, and what would
be better than canned berries to the men who were
living on hard-tack, etc., so they sent a fine lot of
them, which reached us in good condition, but just
when we had a surfeit of them. We had just been
wishing our friends could be in our blackberry patch
a little while. But their kindness of heart was shown
anyhow.
While gathering blackberries, the boys find can-
non balls and shells scattered here and there among
the bushes. They were thrown by our gunboats
when Fort Powhatan was captured from the rebels
a month ago.
FOEAGING. — Quite a little foraging has been
done by small parties of our men since we have been
here, and mutton, vegetables of different kinds, as
peas, potatoes, cabbage, and the like, are secured to
help vary the diet. Beeves are killed also and we get
fresh meat now and then.
During one of the foraging expeditions, while
the soldiers were digging potatoes on the Harrison
plantation, four miles down the river from the fort,
— 125 —
one of them using a pick to dig with struck some-
thing which sounded hollow, and on digging a little
further unearthed a box containing between f 300.00
and $400.00 in gold and silver money. As soon as
he had broken into the box enough to see what it
was, he called, Hello, boys! Just come here and see
what I have found. There was at once a scramble
for the treasure, and while all were securing what
they could, the finder was crowded out of the ring
and did not get any. He complained to the officers
of his loss, but could not be helped any in recovering
his treasuretrove. He would perhaps be wiser on
another similar occasion.
Some of these foragers ran great risks. A
couple of the most active foragers in the regiment
belonging to Company H., A. G. McKee and Scott
or "Scotty", had secured a promise from some of the
native young women to meet them at a certain log
house, about four miles from the fort, with chickens
and other produce to exchange for coffee, tea and
such other commodities as the boys could bring.
Inviting two or three others to join them (among
them being a lieutenant of the colored troops), and
securing passes from the commandant, they set out
for the designated place, anticipating a lively flirta-
tion with the fair rebels, as well as a good commer-
cial deal.
In due time they reached the log house in a small
clearing, but the girls had not yet arrived. Some
sheep in the field about the house were quietly nib-
bling the grass and seemed to be about what the for-
agers "needed." So they sallied out with revolvers in
— 126 —
hand, but before they got within pistol shot a troop
of XL S. cavalry entered the clearing by a road
through the woods and turned to the right, into the
shade just about where they would be hit if the
sheep were missed. The boys retreated to the hut
and were promptly put under arrest by the com-
mander of the cavalry, which proved to be the First
New York Mounted Rifles, but were released upon
showing their passes.*
About this time they were startled by shooting
in the edge of the woods about seventy-five feet in
the rear of the cabin.
It proved that the girls had not come themselves,
but had kindly sent a half dozen of their rebel friends
to gobble up the foragers. The timely appearance
of the cavalry saved them from capture.
In the skirmish one rebel was killed and five
captured, one of the latter it is said, the cavalry hung.
The boys were greatly angered at the job the
girls had put up on them and in a few days returned
to burn the house, but were informed that a squad
of rebel cavalry was near, so they made tracks for
the fort as if the devil was after them.
We get our mail twice or three times a week,
about five or six days after the letters are written.
THE "GLORIOUS FOURTH."— July 4th. We
celebrated the day by having regimental review and
erecting a flag-pole in the fort, on which was run up
*Although the commander of the cavalry released the boys, he sent a
note to Colonel Innis telling where he found them, and that it was a danger-
ous place for them to be. The boys had secured their passes under pretense
of going to pick berries just outside of our picket lines, but within sight of
them.
— 127 —
the stars and stripes. A salute of thirty-four guns
was fired, and the boats in the river were decked out
with flags and bunting in honor of the day.
A newspaper correspondent was so soundly
asleep that he did not hear the salute, and wrote
home to his paper that there was no demonstration
at the fort.
FIGHTING WHISKEY.— Captain Von Shill-
ing asked the commandant of the post for a requisi-
tion for two gallons of whiskey so he could give each
of his men a drink as they had been working hard
on the magazines etc., and wished to celebrate the
day. On procuring the fluid he mustered his men
and began at one end and passed down the line, giv-
ing each man his treat. Before he reached the other
end the first men served began to get hilarious and
one of them struck another with a bucket, injuring
him severely.
The wounded man was taken to the surgeon to
have his scalp stitched up, and the one who as-
saulted him was, by order of the captain, tied spread-
eagle fashion to a cannon wheel. He was left there
till sundown, and it was the captain's intention to
leave him there all night, but the colonel thought
he had been punished enough and ordered him re-
leased. This was probably some of the fighting
whiskey that General _G rant was said to drink.
UNDRESS UNIFORM.— The days were ex-
tremely hot so that most of the boys ran around camp
when not on duty with only shirt and drawers on
during the middle of the day, but the nights were
cold enough to require the use of an overcoat.
— 128 —
On the 7th a detail from different companies
under command of Captain Fisher went down to Wm,
B. Harrison's plantation and brought back eleven
head of horses and a jenny.
One of the jolly boys of the regiment George
Merion, claimed the jenny as his steed and with noth-
ing on but shirt and drawers, bestrode the meek little
creature and rode about the camp proclaiming to
every one that he was starting out to meet the entire
Confederate cavalry and would soon put them to
rout. The ludicrous appearance of the outfit called
forth shouts of laughter on all sides.
CHAPTER XV.
DROWNED. — One of the men belonging to the
artillery was drowned while in swimming, and his
body was not recovered until next day, although
a cannon was fired on the river bank in the hope of
raising it.
Another body was found in the river the day
after this one and proved to be that of a man who
had been missing some time and was thought to be
of unsound mind.
A SAD ROMANCE.— Connected with this death
was one of the many thousand romances growing
out of the war.
The story is as follows: The young man was
engaged to be married, and when the militia was
ordered out, called on his fiancee and urged that they
be married at once. The young lady, while express-
ing the strongest affection for him, was influenced
by her parents and friends and thought it would be
best to wait till he returned from the service, as it
would not be long, and then there would be no inter-
ruption of their happiness. He yielded and marched
away with the regiment, buoyed up by the prospect
of soon returning to claim his bride.
He received the occasional letters that had been
promised, and everything seemed to be well, until
about the time we reached Fort Powhatan. Here
he received an anonymous letter stating that the ob-
— 130 —
ject of his affections had been married on a certain
day. The letter described the wedding dinner and
ceremony, dress of the bride, gave names of guests
present and everything with such minuteness as to
seem like reality.
The poor fellow was distracted with grief and
went with the letter to the colonel, who was well
acquainted with both parties.
Colonel Innis told him to pay no attention to the
letter, that he knew the lady and did not believe a
word of it.
This seemed to satisfy the lover for a time, but
soon he was worrying again, and not long after was
missing. The finding of his body showed what the
sequel of the anonymous letter was.
The letter was in all probability written as a
joke, but it was death to the recipient. No one
knows what agony he suffered from some one's mis-
chievousness, until he finally sought relief in the
waters of the James.
OUK DEADLIEST ENEMY.— The rebels were
not the only foes we had to contend with at this place.
Along toward the middle of July a good many
of the men were troubled with diarrhea, which was
quite obstinate and rapidly weakened them. We
also had another foe whose approach was more in-
siduous, whose attacks were harder to repel, took
more time to recover from, and was in every way more
discouraging.
The Malarial Typhoid Fever, peculiar to the
James Kiver, was this foe. Nearly three hundred
men of our regiment were on the sick list with this
— 131 —
terrible disease at the same time. At one time only
333 were fit for duty. The men would first complain
of feeling tired and stiff, muscles sore, headache and
dizziness, much like ague coming on, then a slight
fever would appear in the afternoons, getting worse
and lasting longer each day, till finally it would be
continuous and the patient delirious, and he would
be a very sick man. This would last for three or
four weeks, when the patient would usually be able
to walk about a little, looking like a yellow ghost,
reeling as he went and feeling dizzy and miserable
as could be imagined. He would of course keep on
drinking swamp water from the spring (?) which
supplied the garrison, and would soon be down again
with a relapse unless he took medicine as regularly
as he ate his meals. If he did this he might keep
just about so. If he neglected his quinine down
he went. The usual bill of fare at this time was hard-
tack and sowbelly, with quinine for dessert (after
blackberries were gone).
Several attempts were made to get better water
by digging wells in several places. Some wells
which wore dug along the banks of the river gave
a supply which seemed a little better than that from
the spring. There was a fine spring outside the
picket lines, but that was too far off and seemed too
dangerous to be utilized, though several times bar-
rels of the water were brought in by guarded parties.
The stoutest and most robust men in the com-
mand seemed to be the first victims of the fever.
Among those we lost by it was Major Joseph M.Clark,
a most estimable man and a genial comrade, and
— 132 —
Captain Thomas Lilley, a Mexican veteran, a very
efficient officer and agreeable man.
Major Clark was taken to Fortress Monroe,
where he died.
Captain Lilley had been sent to Bermuda Hun-
dred to the field hospital there, but it was intended
to remove him to Fortress Monroe. He was taken
on board the boat in the evening to start in the morn-
ing, but he died during the night.
Many of the men went home from service about
as miserable as they could be, from the effects of
these diseases, some of them being affected for years
with chronic liver and stomach trouble and diarrhea.
GLOOMY THOUGHTS.— When a man got too
sick for duty or to eat his rations and could only sit
around and think of his ailments and wonder how
things were going on at home, he was pretty apt to
get blue and homesick. He knew that he had left
home on short notice and did not have time to ar-
range his affairs, consequently he had to leave his
farming to his wife and children, or his store or shop
in the care of clerks or apprentices. This fact and
his sickness made him feel as if he was about broke
up.
When they were well all the members of the
regiment, though conscious of the sacrifices they had
made, accepted the situation cheerfully and man-
fully and stood up to their work bravely. They
could not help thinking sometimes how nice it would
be if they could only look in on the folks at home
for a little while, and straighten up business matters
somewhat. They could then come back contented
— 133 -
to serve out the balance of their term, or longer if
needed, but there was no chance for a furlough.
Among the kind offices to be performed for the
boys when they were sick was that of writing letters
to friends at home, and it was a duty which was done
cheerfully by all who were called upon, but no one
excelled our (Rev.) Lieutenant Whitehead, whose let-
ters carried such comfort to the friends of sick and
dying comrades, that he will long be remembered.
Some of his letters were so prized that they were
printed and framed by the families who received
them, and still remain as reminders of his goodness
of heart.
The sickest men and those who were likely to
be sick for some time, were put on steamboats and
sent to the hospital at Fortress Monroe, where more
convenient and permanent arrangements had been
made for the care of sick and wounded, than could be
had in the field.
Our own field hospital would of course accom-
modate only a small number, and it is not customary
to keep on hand any great amount of medicines, so
that our supply got pretty low. Another good rea-
son for sending away the sick was that we were liable
to be attacked at any time.
ON THE ALERT.— We are continually re-
minded that war exists in our vicinity by the heavy
firing up the rivers in the direction of Petersburg
and Richmond, and we anxiously wait for the time
when we will have to repel a rebel attack on our
post. Quite frequently the rebels will station them-
selves on the river bank above or below this place,
— 134 —
plant a battery and begin firing on every boat that
passes up or down.
On the Fourth of July they appeared with a bat-
tery at Wilcox's Wharf, between three and four miles
up the river on the opposite side, and began firing
on some transports that were passing up loaded with
hay and grain for Grant's and Butler's armies.
There were nine of the boats, three abreast. The
rebel aim seemed poor, for many of the shots fell
into the water around the boats, but did not do
much damage. Only one hole was made of any con-
sequence, and the boat's crew soon patched that up.
The rebels were in plain view from the fort, and
as soon as they began firing we of course wanted to
be at them, but it was out of our reach, for by the
time we could land a force on the other side of the
river and march to where they were they could have
the boats sunk and be gone. So our commander or-
dered Captain Von Shilling to try the cannon of the
fort on them. He said, "I don't believe we can reach
them, but I will try." We had two guns, one a
brass thirty-two pounder, the other a steel gun much
larger. The brass piece was tried first, and the shot
struck the water in direct line toward the rebs, but
only about two-thirds of the way to them. The steel
gun was then loaded and the shot went nearly to
them. The colonel said, "Put in a double charge,
captain." "I am afraid it will spoil the gun," was
answered. "Will it hurt any of us?" "Oh no! but
it will likely crack the gun." "Well, try it! Uncle
Sam will get us another."
So a double charge was put in with a shell, and
— 135 —
when the gun was fired, those who had their eyes
on the rebs saw men, horses, and cannon suddenly
fly into the air, and then in wild confusion they lit
out for other parts.
The shell had gone under the gun platform, and
exploded just at the right time to be most effective.
THEY'RE SLOW, BUT LOOK OUT WHEN
THEY GET THERE.— The gunboat stationed below
the fort started up the river to attack this battery,
but to the eyes of the anxious and excited soldiers
at the fort.it seemed to hardly move, and many were
the exclamations of disgust at its slowness. Our
shots drove the rebs away before the boat got half
way there. These gunboats soon rout the rebels
when they happen to be on hand, but the Johnnies
take advantage of their absence, as the boats have
to patrol the river up and down for several miles.
See follwing dispatches.
July 13, 1864.
Major General B. F. Butler :
There is a rebel battery firing on our transports
at Wilcox's Wharf at the bend of the river just above
this place. No gunboat here.
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding.
A gunboat happened to be just around the bend
and attended to them, as see,
Bermuda, July 13, 1864.
Major General Butler :
I have just come up the river from near Wilcox's
— 136 —
Wharf. Captain Fitch with the army gunboat Parke
was near there when a section of artillery fired into
the transports this P. M., and shelled them out, after-
ward landing a party to ascertain where they were
gone.
0. K. Graham,
Brigadier General.
Fort Powhatan, Va., August 3, 1864.
Major General Butler :
There is a rebel battery at Wilcox's Wharf firing
on our transports.
G. S. Innis,
Colonel.
ANOTHER COMPLIMENT.— During the early
part of August the ironclad lying near the fort was
ordered up the river. Before leaving the Lieutenant
Commander in command of her came on shore to bid
our commander good-bye. He said, "Colonel, I do
not wish to flatter your command, but since the 133d
has been here things have been conducted in a more
military way than at any time since I have been
here, and your camp is the cleanest and nicest about
Bermuda Hundred."
So the time wore on, each day being enlivened
by some incident of soldier life, a march out along
the telegraph line, a scout after some rebel detach-
ment reported to be near, or other duty besides the
usual guard and fatigue duty.
CHAPTER XVI.
WELCOME VISITORS.— About the latter part
of July the wives of Colonel Innis and Lieutenant
Colonel Ewing came to the fort on a visit and stayed
a couple of weeks. This was a great pleasure to the
whole regiment. Many were acquainted with the
ladies and could thus obtain direct news from home,
while the others could hear in a general way how
matters were at home, which was a good deal of
satisfaction, besides the ladies showed a good many
kindnesses to the sick, which were greatly needed,
for at this time the malarial fever was at about its
worst.
The marshy country around the fort, heated up
by the fierce rays of the sun through the day, ren-
dered the air almost unfit to be breathed, and the
sick were reported by the dozens.
SIGNAL TOWER.— Our men worked on a look-
out and signal station, 96 feet high, which they com-
pleted late in July. By means of this tower the
country for miles around could be continuously
watched through the day and signals conveyed from
the station at Fort Pocahontas, eight miles below on
the river, and repeated here to the one at City Point,
ten miles up the river. By means of telescopes these
signals, communicated by flags by day and torches
by night, could be seen and read, thus conveying in-
— 138 —
formation as quickly and as accurately as by tele-
graph, or as could now be done by telephone.
General Butler had one of these towers on the
line of his works near Point of Rocks, nearly two
hundred feet high, and from the top of it he could
look over the rebel works for three or four miles, and
could see their movements along the road between
Richmond and Petersburg. It was his custom to be
drawn up to the top in a basket by means of a wind-
lass each day between 10 and 12 o'clock when the
atmosphere was clearest, and take observations for
himself. Beauregard had observed this proceeding
and telegraphed for a Whitworth gun to destroy this
lookout, and it was sent him by express with the
necessary ammunition. Accordingly a couple of
days afterward when General Butler went up to take
a look at the rebs they sent their compliments at the
tower in the way of a shot from their Whitworth gun,
the projectile of which is nearly two feet long and
makes a terrible shrieking as it flies through the air.
Butler knew that if a shot hit one of the corner
posts he would take a fall of a couple of hundred
feet, but he remained and signalled for two batteries
to be brought, and then from his perch directed their
fire one after the other, till they got the range.
The rebs in the meantime fired three or four
shots and were getting nearer the mark, but when
our guns got their adjustment the whole twelve
opened at once, and in a few minutes the Whitworth
was knocked completely out and was never heard
from again.
WE GO AFTER THE REBS.— From the time
— 139 —
the fortifications were completed we had no fatigue
duty to perform and our own work was compara-
tively easy, but in the early part of August the rebels
became more troublesome, cutting the wire oftener
and finally appearing in some force near Cabin Point,
as shown by the following dispatches:
Fort Powhatan, August 6, 1864.
General B. F. Butler :
I think there is a considerable force of rebels be-
tween here and Swan Point, led by Roger A. Pryor.
Two of colored cavalry repairing telegraph line were
killed last night and one missing. The line however
is in working order.
G. S. Innis,
Colonel 133d Ohio National Guard Regiment Commanding Post.
Fort Powhatan, Va., August 6, 1864.
Major General Butler, Commanding Department of Virginia and
North Carolina:
General: — Negroes say they saw at least 100
men. Their horses were hitched in the woods and
the men were formed along the road in a ditch or rifle-
pits. One free negro said they captured him, took
him into their lines, showed him their men and told
him they had 80 or 100 men. This was last evening
about sunset. This morning I cannot find or hear of
them. If I can find out anything certain about them
I will telegraph you. Several citizens have recently
come in voluntarily and asked to be allowed to take
the oath of allegience to the Government of the
United States. Shall I have it administered to all
— 140 —
that ask it if I believe them to be acting in good faith?
I am very respectfully, general, your most obe-
dient servant,
G. S. Innis,
Colonel Commanding Post.
A movement was projected against this force,
having for its intention to get them between two de-
tachments of our forces, but General Marston did
not get transportation soon enough and was blamed
by General Butler, as per following dispatch.
BUTLEE SCOLDS.—
Headquarters, August 10, 1864 — 10:20 p. m.
Brigadier General Marston, Fort Powhatan :
I desired Colonel Innis to cooperate with Gen-
eral Graham in a movement upon the enemy near
Cabin Point and .to pursue them down to Swan Point.
Graham landed at daybreak. You stopped the
march of Colonel Innis until 10:45 by saying, "Don't
move till I come, I will be there in an hour. Do you
not get up to make movements till 10:45? It is a
little later in the morning than I am accustomed to
see my officers move. Please explain.
Benjamin F. Butler,
Major General.
General Marston explained as follows:
Headquarters First Brigade Third Division
Tenth Army Corps,
Fort Powhatan, Va., August 11, 1864,
Major General Butler :
On the 9th day of August, at 2:30 P. M., I re-
— 141 —
reived the following dispatch from Colonel Innis,
commanding at Fort Powhatan:
"A white nigger has just reported to me that
there are three companies of cavalry within three
miles of this fort, also a large infantry force on the
Surry Court House road.
He says 3,000. I think the 400 or 500 I spoke
to you about yesterday. I sent out thirty or forty
cavalry to repair the telegraph line this A. M., but
they were driven in. What shall I do?"
At 3 P. M. I sent the following to Colonel Innis:
"Keep a sharp lookout, but don't risk capture
or surprise."
Deeming it important to destroy or capture the
rebel force that was interrupting the telegraph at
3:45 P. M. I telegraphed to Captain Pitkin at City
Point to send me a steamer that night to enable me
to cross the river with a part of my force at this post,
to which I received no reply until between 7 and 8
o'clock in the morning of the 10th instant, when the
steamer called for reported.
My purpose was to send a section of my light bat-
tery and about 150 men to Fort Powhatan in the
evening and during the night land about 250 men
below Cabin Point and endeavor to surprise the
rebels at daylight this morning by a simultaneous
movement of both detachments.
At 9:30 A. M., August 10th, I received the follow-
ing dispatch from Colonel Innis:
"We are about sending out all our available
force. In case wo are driven in can I depend on you
for assistance?"
— 142 —
To which I replied:
"Make no movement until I come, will be with
you in an hour."
In less than one hour I was at Fort Powhatan,
and then and there first learned that General Graham
had sent a force down the river, and that Colonel
Innis had been requested to cooperate with him. I
immediately directed Colonel Innis to send out all
the men he could possibly spare and sent back to
Wilson's Landing for 375 men, 100 of whom I di-
rected to remain at Fort Powhatan and 275 I sent
to reinforce the detachment sent forward by Colonel
Innis. A part of the force marched as far as Cabin
Point and scouted the country about there, arrested
several citizens, who, with one exception, persisted
that no more than six rebel soldiers had been seen
recently in that neighborhood. From one party they
learned that about seventy-five rebel cavalry had
that morning gone off on the Blackwater road. They
found the telegraph line down at several points, but
not broken. Between 8 and 9 o'clock the force re-
turned to Fort Powhatan.
I enclose herewith a report of Lieutenant Swain,
which accounts for the fact that no communication
was received from Fort Powhatan on the night of
the 9th instant. To your remark about not getting
up to make movements till 10:45 I have no reply to
make, feeling that the same was uncalled for and
unjust.
I have the honor to be very respectfully your
obedient servant,
GlLMAN MARSTON,
Brigadier General of Volunteers.
— 143 —
Lieutenant Swain reported that smoke in the
atmosphere prevented torch signals being seen, the
distance being nearly eight miles.
BUSHWHACKERS.— Although on this expedi-
tion no rebel force was encountered, our men who
lagged behind on the return march were fired on by
bushwhackers and returned the fire, but none of our
men were hurt.
WE LEAVE FORT POWHATAN.— We did not
know how long we were to be kept in the service, but
thought our time was nearly up, and began to expect
orders to leave at almost any time, and when the fol-
lowing order came it was received with great satis-
faction.
Headquarters Tenth Army Corps,
In the Field August 10, 1864.
Special Orders
No. 98.
5. The One Hundred and Thirtieth Ohio Na-
tional Guard will proceed without delay to Fort Pow-
hatan, relieving the One Hundred and Thirty-third
Ohio National Guard now on duty there. The One
Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio National Guard,
upon being relieved, will proceed upon the same
transport to Washington, D. C.
By command of Major General Birney.
Ed. W. Smith,
Assistant Adjutant- Genera I.
The colonel had reported to General Butler that
we had so many sick that it would be very incon-
— 144 —
venient to take them on a boat crowded with noisy
soldiers, and asked for a hospital boat. Butler tele-
graphed to Baltimore and the authorities in com-
mand there impressed a peach boat the "Mina" and
sent her to convey our sick.
TAMING A REBEL.— The captain was a rebel
sympathizer and did not relish this service a bit, but
dared not disobey orders. He. however, took every
opportunity to make himself disagreeable, and car-
ried it so far that the colonel ordered a squad of men
to pitch him overboard into the James.
He now realized the situation and begged for
mercy, which was granted. During the rest of the
trip he behaved himself with some show of respect
for every one on board.
About 10 o'clock on August 11th, the steamers
United States and Mina arrived at the fort with the
130th O. T. I., which was to relieve us.
We were at once ordered to strike tents and pack
up, which we were not slow to do. At once every-
thing was hurry and bustle, and about 4 o'clock we
went aboard the United States, the sick being placed
on the Mina. When the boats got out into the river
the boys gave three hearty cheers, and our fifes and
drums played "When Johnny comes marching
home."
The weather was very hot, but when we got
down the river a piece the banks were low and the
breeze got a chance to strike us, making it very
pleasant.
The country had the same deserted appearance
we noticed on going up the river.
— 145 —
We passed Fortress Monroe about 11 o'clock at
night.
August 12th, at about six o'clock in the morn-
ing, we turned from the bay into the Potomac River.
It was quite cool in the early morning, but soon got
so warm that the boys stretched their tents over
their heads, which helped a little, and yet it was so
hot that the perspiration streamed from every pore.
The night had been a very uncomfortable one
on account of being so crowded on the boat. The
men lay in every possible shape to find room, some
even letting their legs hang over the sides of the
boat. Our journey up the Potomac was uneventful
and in a few hours more we were once again in the
Capital of the Nation and the boys' faces beamed
with smiles at the change. For nearly four months
we have scarcely seen any one but soldiers, and these
living in a rough and tumble sort of a way that does
not seem at all like the way people should live, but
now that we have got back from the seat of war and
see women and children again it seems more like
civilization.
CHAPTER XVII.
BACK TO WASHINGTON.— We disembarked
and marched to the Soldiers' Home, where we got
supper.
Three of our sick men died on the boat, coming
up. All the rest who were not able to accompany
the regiment home were sent to the different hos-
pitals.
THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO SEE US.— In
the evening we were drawn up to go to the White
House, on the invitation of President Lincoln, but
a furious rainstorm prevented our attendance.
We found the 150th O. N. G. here and they
looked very clean and well kept. They must have
had a very easy time as compared with our regiment.
EVERY ONE KIND TO SOLDIERS.— The
Sanitary Commission sent each company of our com-
mand a bushel of good peaches, which seemed de-
licious to us.
The people of the North were full of patriotism
and sent liberal donations to this commission to be
distributed to the soldiers. Nearly every family in
the land sent one or more of its number to the field
and the hearts of those who remained at home were
filled with love for all who were in the Union army,
and they were ever ready to do them a kindness.
Postmaster General Dennison was very kind to
— 147 —
the members of the 133d, even going so far as to
authorize drafts to be drawn on him for money that
any member of the regiment might need.
After we boarded the cars for home at Washing-
ton City, a Quaker lady approached an officer of our
regiment and said, "Thee looks as if thee had come
from the front." "Yes," was the reply, "we have
come from in front of Petersburg and Richmond."
"Thee looks as if a little money might be useful
to thee. I have twenty dollars in my purse which
thee is welcome to," and she offered a twenty dollar
bill, which the officer declined, saying, "No, I thank
you! We are now where we can get all the money
we need. Keep that for some one who may not be
so fortunate."
GO HOME. — On Sunday morning, August 14th,
at 4 o'clock, we were ordered to pack up and be
ready to move. We waited till 9 o'clock, when we
got started, and at 2 o'clock we got to Baltimore.
Here we were treated to a good dinner of corned beef
and bread and excellent coffee, and then marched
a mile and a half to the other depot. One man died
on the train coming to Baltimore.
We boarded our train and pulled out of Balti-
more just about dusk. The moon shone brightly
and gave a beautiful appearance to the country as
we glided along on the cars.
All along the road the people turn out and greet
us with cheers and all the usmal signs of patriotism.
The morning of August 15th found us within
forty-five miles of Harrisburg, Pa. Here we were
divided into two trains, having come so far on a
— 148 —
single train. Passing through Harrisburg we kept
on, and about noon arrived at Altoona. Here we
got dinner and had two extra engines attached to
our train, as the grades among these mountains are
very steep and the road very crooked. It seems
sometimes as if we were going right back the way
we came. After a while we got over the ridge of the
mountains and reached the down grade and then
made very fast time.
A GOOD SUPPER.— We reached Pittsburg
about 7 o'clock P. M., got off the train and went to
the Soldiers' Home, where in a clean, nice dining
room they gave us the best supper we had seen since
we left home. We had bread and butter, coffee, good
water, dried beef, tomatoes, cabbage, pickles, butter
crackers and an apple a piece. The boys showed
their appreciation of the good things by giving three
cheers and singing some army songs. We then
marched about half a mile to the depot and were
given passenger cars to ride in this time.
It seems that the nearer home we get the better
we find things. Then, as now, Ohio was the best
state in the Union.
We got to Alliance about 6 o'clock in the morn-
ing, and from here on to Crestline the country looks
fine. Our colonel telegraphed to different towns
ahead to know if they could feed the regiment, direct-
ing them to telegraph their answer to the next sta-
tion ahead of us. Each place answered that they
could not, till Crestline was asked. The answer now
was, "Yes!" We got there about 1 o'clock, and hav-
ing had nothing to eat since we left Pittsburg last
— 149 —
night, the men were nearty famished. Consequently
they did full justice to the dinner provided for us-
here.
Boarding our train again we proceeded toward
Columbus, where we arrived about 4 o'clock, with
hearts beating with joy to be at home and among
friends once more.
A GEEAT WELCOME.— There were thousands
of people at the depot to welcome us, and they fairly
went wild with joy as we alighted from the cars.
Everybody embraced everybody else, and then shook
hands all round and cried and laughed, and gave
other evidence of the emotion that possessed them.
SOME SAD HE ARTS.— There were some hearts
though that were sad amid all this tumult of glad-
ness.
Twenty-seven of the brave comrades who went
away with us full of manly pride and patriotism, to
serve, their country, had died, and to their families
there was no glad home-coming. These friends
could not participate in the general rejoicing, but
could only mourn for the loved ones they had given
as a sacrifice to preserve the Union. Some sick com-
rades had been left at Washington, but their friends
were hopeful that they would soon come home too.
When greetings were over for the time, the regi-
ment fell in and was formed in open order and the
food and delicacies brought by our friends was passed
along the lines.
WE WERE TOO FULL.— The display of eat-
ables would have tempted any hungry man, but un-
fortunately we were in no condition to do justice to
— 150 —
the offering. We had nearly starved from Pittsburg
to Crestline, and at the latter place had eaten so
heartily that we lost our appetites. At the Soldiers'
Home, which stood just south of the railroad on the
west side of High street, we were also invited in to
dinner, but could not accept.
Fresh horses had been ^provided for the field
officers.
OUR GRAND PARADE.— After supper the
regiment was re-formed and a parade of the City Fire
Department and the local military organizations
took place in honor of our return.
We then marched to the State House, while can-
non were fired and all the bells of the city clanged
out their glad welcome.
Here Dr. G. Volney Dorsey (State Treasurer)
welcomed us back in a stirring patriotic speech, after
which the regiment was dismissed till morning, and
scattered to their homes or those of their friends.
On the 17th the regiment assembled and at 11
o'clock marched out to Camp Chase in order to be
mustered out as soon as the necessary forms could
be complied with, and papers made out. The men
were not under much restraint now, and ran about
almost at will.
OUT. On the 20th we were mustered out by
Captain Brand, of the 18th U. S. Infantry, having
been in Uncle Sam's service one hundred and ten
days.
GOODBYE, BOYS.— The boys had already pre-
pared for their departure, and all that was left to be
done was to bid farewell to each other, and this
— 151 —
caused many heartpangs, for though our term of ser-
vice was short, it was long enough to allow the for-
mation of that feeling of fraternity which is so strong
between soldiers who have lived and marched to-
gether, and stood with elbows touching in times of
danger and death.
The memory of that service will linger with us
through life.
To our surviving comrades we extend a heart-
felt greeting whenever we meet them.
To the memory of those who fell we drop tears
of sorrow.
133rd REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Field and Staff, and Companies A, E, F. G, H and K mustered in by Major
Cravens, and Companies B, C, D and I by Captain Otis, May 6, 1864, at
Camp Chase, Ohio. Mustered out August 20, 1864, by Captain E.
E. Brand, 18th Infantry U. S. A., at Camp Chase, Ohio.
FIELD AND STAFF.
Colonel,
Gustavus S. Innis.
Lieutenant-Colonel, Major,
William Ewing. Joseph M. Clark.
Surgeon,
Chauncey P. Landon.
Assistant Surgeons,
Robert M. McConnell. David Ridenour.
Adjutant, Regimental Quartermaster,.
George W. Hayden. Carl N. Bancroft.
Chaplain, Sergeant-Major,
James Mitchell. Wilson Hume.
Quartermaster Sergeant, Commissary Sergeant,
William Chandler. Adam R. Innis.
Hospital Stewards,
John E. Powell, William Miller.
Principal Musicians,
Edward Harris, James Strasburgb,
Henry W. Field.
154 —
First Lieutenant,
James Watermire.
William W. Woods,
Francis H. Switzer,
William Webster,
Wilson Ludivck.
Henry H. Miller,
George Woods,
Nelson Kidney,
COMPANY A.
Captain,
" Steely.
First Sergeant,
Orville R. Pegg.
Sergeants,
Corporals,
Musicians,
Wagoner,
John Wilson.
Second Lieutenant,
Jefferson H. Darrah.
Jeremiah Greer,
John W. H. Morrison,
Stewart Stradley,
Joseph Webster,
Leroy s. Lafferty,
Thomas A. Fritter.
Charles White.
Privates.
Babcock, Jacob
Bacon, John
Beard, Ira H.
Beigle, Alva
Beigle, David.
Brown, William
Brown, Daniel H.
Bull, Heman.
Butterbergh, George
Cameron, Samuel
Cameron, Joseph
Cramer, John
Sent from hospital at David's
Island, New York Harbor, to
Columbus, O., Sept, 8, 1864, for
muster-out.
Cramer, Adam
Crut, Michael
Cunmans, David
Drake, William
Died June 8, 1864, at New Creek,
W. Va.
Drake, John W.
Died July 4, 1864, at New Creek,
W. Va.
Dupes, Adam
Elder, Sylvester
Furguson, John
Furguson, Samuel
Ferreter, Richard
Garner, William
Died Aug. 7, 1864.
Geisinger, George W.
Hanel, Henry
Harris, Samuel
Died June 6, 1864, at New Creek,
W. Va.
Harris, Albert
Hashberger, Coffinbeny
Hodge, G. W. S.
Houston Hugh
Huntly, John
Icenberger, John.
Innis, Robert.
Innis, Adam R.
Promoted to Com. Sergeant
May 2, 1864.
Kirkpatrick, John.
Lakin, John W. P.
Leese Terrace T.
Linderman, Christian.
Martin, Christian.
Miller, John C.
Miller, Jackson.
Mock, Joseph.
Moore, Elijah A.
Moore, Henry,
Musgrove, William.
Newel, Joseph P.
Ransbottom, Henry.
Died July 30, 1864, at Fortress
Monroe, Va.
Reader, Jacob.
Rean, George.
Reigle, Elias.
Rinehart, Valentine.
Robins, Joseph W.
Rose, John A.
Rose, Daniel W.
Rothgeb, Elijah.
Rothworth, Amos.
Sabastian, George W.
Sabastian, Joseph.
Shively, John.
Sims, John.
Strickland, George.
Super, Michael.
Switsei", John.
Thomson, John.
Thomson, Marion
Umbaugh, William H.
Wultimire, William J.
Wart, John
Webster, F. A.
Woods, N. B.
Woods, E. H.
Wolford, John
155 —
First Lieutenant,
Sylvester W. Ranney.
William Wagner,
James S. Granger,
Alexander Doran,
Edmund Dague,
Samuel Doran,
William K. Evans
Adair, Joseph M.
Absent, sick, since May 7, 1864.
Bear, Lemuel.
Bear. Jacob.
Beecher, John J.
Berger, saniuel R.
Blanvelt, Henry.
Brown, Samuel.
Burwell, Walter.
Campher, Jacob.
Cook, Jacob.
Cook, Gf orge.
Cooly, David.
Crist, Vandemark.
Cring, Henry.
Dague, Levi.
Dague, Daniel.
Dague, Benjamin.
Dodd, Thomas C.
Drake, Frank.
Early, Martin.
Evans, Alvin B.
Absent,sick in hospital at Pitts-
burg, Pa.
Fisher, Joseph, Sr.
Frable, C^uincy.
Friend, Frank.
Goodrich, Justus.
Gravina, Charles F.
Guerin, Lovett T.
Hartrem, Benjamin.
Hendrickson, Daniel.
Hogbin, John M.
Irwin, Samuel.
Jacobs, John W.
Johnson, Charles W.
Johnson, Thomas A.
Johnson, William H.
Jones, Abner F.
Died Aug. 18, 1864, on steamer
United States, en route to
Washington from Fort Pow-
hatan, Va.
King, Levi.
Klick, Ephraim.
Landon, George W.
Landon, David.
Landon, Wellington C.
Landon, Hannibal.
COMPANY B.
Captain,
Job Wilson.
First Sergeant,
George Wagner.
Sergeants,
Corporals,
George B. Sisco.
Musicians,
Wagoner,
Joseph coil.
Privates,
Landon
Second Lieutenant.
Oliver Marion.
Christian Herlocker,
Oliver E. Peters.
George Daily,
John N. Miller.
Lucius C. Smith,
James M. Strasburg,
John D.
Died Aug. 16, 1864, at Smithville,
Ohio.
McCloud, Charles W.
McCurdy, Henry H.
Marion, George.
Meeks, Benjamin.
Miller, Reuben F.
Miller, James R.
Miller, George W.
Miller, Peter.
Miiler, Philip.
Miller, John J.
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D.C.
Miller, Edward.
Moore, William S. G.
Ogden, Charles S.
O'Kane, Henry.
Osborne, Ezra L.
Patterson, Jerome.
Phelps, Alfred.
Priest, Silas.
Ranny, John H.
Rarice, Joseph.
Roberts, James.
Died Aug. 15, 1864, in hospital at
Washington, D. C.
Sheldon, Bennett.
Homers, George.
Smith, Henry.
Smith, Isaac N.
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D.C.
Smith, John W.
Smith, Stephen G.
Smith, William.
Smith, Daniel O.
Smith, Aaron.
Smith, Joseph.
st rayer, Abraham.
strasburg, James.
Ulry, George D.
Weatherbv, Samuel S.
Wilkins, Nelson.
Wilson, William S.
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D.C.
156 —
COMPANY C.
First Lieutenant,
Henry A. Guitner.
Charles H. Kirk,
Theodore Tibbetts,
Captain,
Lawrence L. Meachem.
Second Lieutenant,
Sawyer A. Hutchinson.
First Sergeant,
William J. Gill.
Sergeants,
Menzes P. Gillespie,
Charles W. Smith.
Died Aug. 4, 1864, at Fortress Monroe, Va
Chauncey W. Phelps,
William O. Guitner,
George W. Robison,
James A. Ranney,
David A. Schaff,
Corporals,
Musicians,
Wagoner,
Andrew Adams,
Irvin A. Lawson,
John B. Cornell,
Albert Mattoon,
Newell W. Grinnell.
Calvin P. Weaver.
Privates,
Allen, Thomas J.
Alexander, James.
Ambrose, Henry.
Bartels, William Y.
Bartels, Peter B.
Died Aug. 12, 1864, at Fortress
Monroe, Va.
Brinkerhoff, Uriah.
Brinkerhoff, Stephen.
Bryant, Charles W.
Carver, Joseph.
Clarke, Edwin E.
Clark, James R.
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D.C.
Clark, William.
Clarke, George W.
Discharged May 7, 1864, on Sur-
geon's certificate of disability.
Clapham, William.
Clapham, Milton.
Crout, Lewis B.
Davis, Edwin F.
Drake, Frank.
Discharged May 7, 1864, on Sur-
i geon's certificate of disability.
Dusenbury, Daniel.
Dyxon, Irvin W.
Dyxon, Clinton.
Ferris, Joseph E.
Foutz, John N.
Gailey, James.
Getzendanner, James.
Gill, James.
Goldsmith, John.
Died July 18, 1864, at Bermuda
Hundred. Va.
Gravinna, Fred. E.
Hagar, Luther P.
Hawkins, Withing.
Holmes, John.
Hutches, Jasper N.
Died July 20, 1864, at Bermuda
Hundred, Va.
Kiner, Francis M.
Kritzinger, George W.
Landon, William.
Miller, William.
Promoted to Hospital Steward
June 25, 1864.
Noble, John.
Oldham, Austin W.
Perry, George.
Pinney, Horace D.
Pinney, Grove W.
Pinney, John H.
Died July 15, 1864, at Fort Pow-
hatan, Va.
Ranney, David.
Ranney, Joel.
Riley, Lucius R.
Rose, Seth C.
Schrock, Homer.
Schrock, Vause.
Schrock, Joseph.
Scoby, Gideon.
Smith, Daniel.
Spring, Homer.
Strong, Stephen.
Toby, William O.
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D.C.
Vance, Edward P.
Waters, John B.
Died Aug. 10, 1864, at Fortress
Monroe, Va.
Watson, Warren W.
Washburn, Riley.
Wright, Samuel.
— 157
COMPANY D.
First Lieutenant,
Henry L. Whitehead.
Captain,
Hiram C. Tipton.
Second Lieutenant,
John M. Dickerson.
First Sergeant,
Nathan D. Mitchell.
John Q.. Landes,
James P. Hay,
Sergeants,
Jasper R. Manning,
Thomas T. Ferguson.
John Spangler,
John Chamn,
Armenas F. Kilbury,
Adin H. Walton,
Corporals,
Richard VanHorn,
Thomas Chenoweth,
George W. Davis,
Benjamin Sands.
Privates,
Adams, John Q.
Atchison, Charles P.
Baird, Simon S.
Ballard, Thomas H.
Basket, David.
Bertsch, John.
Bozenrife, James.
Brown, John.
Bullen, William.
Clark, David.
Cline, Emanuel.
Coflman, Quintillius P.
Dalby, Isaac H.
Deyo, Amos.
Died Aug. 13, 1864, at Baltimore,
Md.
Dickerson, Thomas C.
Edginton, Joseph.
Engler, Joseph.
Fellows, Theodore B.
Fleming, Llewellyn.
Freeman, Richard P.
Freeman, Charles H.
Freese, Andrew J.
Gardner, George
Gardner, James P.
Gilliland, Hamilton.
Gilliland, Harrison.
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D.C. No further
record found.
Gilliland, John.
Died Aug. 7, 1804, at Fortress
Monroe, Va.
Grisley, Charles.
Hann, Solomon.
Harper, Edward.
Howell, Jesse.
Huffman, John.
Ivy, James.
Kegg, John.
Keintz, Christian.
Kile, John.
Knaza, John.
Knida, William.
Kreitzer, Frederick.
Kroppf, Adolph.
Landes, Samuel.
Leighter, Zackey T.
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D. C.
Leightle, Josiah.
Lyda, Curtis.
McVaugh, Benjamin.
Miller, Isaac.
Montz, John.
Morton, Thomas.
Moses, Ebenezer.
Myers, Henry A.
Nutter, Loyd.
O'Day, Philip.
Poulson, William.
Price, Joseph.
Pugh, Richard.
Sells, Wilson S.
Schreves, James.
Southard. Thomas.
Souver, Isaiah.
Spangler, William.
Spangler, Calvin.
Spangler, Abraham,
Spangler, Alexander.
Timmons, Madison.
Tiinnions, 1 ra.
Thomson. Daniel.
Tracy, John N.
Waldo, George W.
W ampler, John.
Weifle, Augustus.
Wilkins, James.
— 158 —
First Lieutenant,
Jacob Romich.
COMPANY E.
Captain,
Ellis H. Heagler,
First Sergeant,
John E. Price.
Second Lieutenant,
George W. Lakin.
James W. Michael,
Samuel W. Lakin,
-Absent, sick at home.
Sergeants
*Edward S. Churchman,
Charles Dantel.
No further record found.
Corporals,
William Woods, Jr. John H. Snouffer,
Edwin R. Delashmutt, Robert A. Brelsford,
Lucas B. Goff, ^William E. Gray,
Addison Adams, Joseph H. Fisher.
-Died May 12, 1864, of accidental gunshot wounds.
John Q. A. Brown,
Musicians,
Wagoner,
William S. Adams.
David Snouffer.
Andrus, Miner G.
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D.C. No further
record found.
Ashbaugh, Hugh H.
Barker, David F.
Bannon, James
Bennett, Sheldon
Berry, Israel
Billingsley, William C.
Billingsley, William H.
Bowers, Newman H.
Brelsford, David H.
Brelsford, George W.
Bridges, Emery
Never mustered.
Bristol, Calvin E.
Bristol, George
Butterfield, Sylvester
Campnell, John
Case, Marcus
Cramer, John
Daniels, Morris
Died Aug. 16, 1864, in hospital at
Washington, D.C., also borne
on rolls as Moses Daniels.
Davis, Asa
Eldriek, David
Elliott, Jackson
Engle, William
Fuller, Reuben H.
Absent, sick at home ; for-
warded to regiment July 29,
1864, from Hampton Hospital.
No further record found.
Gilbert, Henry
Groft, Michael
Grimes, Abraham A.
Hall, Nelson H.
Hodson, Her.ry
Johnson, Haslem F.
Absent, sick at home. No
further record found.
Privates. _
Joslin, John
Lakin, Daniel C.
Lane, Benjamin F.
Lane, John D.
McCammel, William
Mateer, Washington
Absent, sick at home.
further record found.
Mateer, Samuel
Mateer, Robert G.
Mitchell, Charles
Needles, Henry
Payne, Edward
Pence, David M.
Pingree, Parker P.
Presley, Charles
Richards, Mathias H.
Snouffer, George B.
Snouffer. John B.
Somers, George
Stagg, Abraham
Sullivan, Samuel M.
Swayne, Emmit A.
Absent, sick at home.
further record found.
Thomas, Talton J.
Tuller, John T.
Vanderwert, Henry
Walcutt, Robert
Walcutt, William
Walters, Peter
Warner, John B.
Warner, George M.
Warner, George W.
Warner, John A.
Wilcox, John
Wilcox, Washington W.
Wilcox, Lawrence
Wilson, Joseph
Wilson, William E.
Wing, Frederick F.
Wiswell, John L. B.
5Touel, Nathan C.
No
No
— 159 —
First Lieutenant,
Alonson N. Bull,
COMPANY F.
Captain,
Lewis H. Webster.
Henry Zinn,
Franklin Spangler,
George Rader,
Richard M. Peckham,
George R. Furney,
Daniel Stelzer,
First Sergeant,
Wallace H. Moore
Sergeants,
Corporals,
Second Lieutenant,
William S. Ridenhour.
James M. Hauff,
Allen, Marion
Arnold, Adam
Ault, James W.
Barkelew, Stephen
Bell, Robert
Clark, James
Coe, Levi
Coe, Daniel
Creighton, Wilson
Danforth, James
Dean, Frances B.
Dill, John
Dill. William.
Drake, Douglas
Drake, Charles
Field, Presley
Fishpaw, John L.
Foregrave, Robert G.
Fritter, Thomas
Garner, Clay
Gill, Frank
Gilland
Gregg, Joseph O.
Guither, Charles
Haden, Frederick A.
Haden, Frederick
Harris, Edwin
Harts, Jonas
Harper, Edward
Hays, Martin
Hays, Solomon
Hays, Samuel
Holt, Charles
Ingham, Orison
Inn is, Jacob
Innis, William
Innis, Adam R.
Johnson, Theodore P.
Jones, Thomas p.
Keeler, James
Kirkpatrick, John
Krum, Philip
Krum, Harmon
Krum, Joseph
Landon, Chauncey P.
Laird, James
Absent, sick at Washington, D.
Musicians,
Wagoner,
Thomas Neiswinder.
Privates,
John Dugan,
Alexander Ross.
Francis S. Brady,
Willam Louis,
William Burwell,
Samuel Francis.
Lucius Harris.
C, since Aug. 14, 1864.
Lake, Norman
Leach, Asa
Leckrone, John
Lemon, Isaac
Neiswender, Henry
Nicholson, Horace
Nicholson, Merenus A.
Nickson, John
Park, Eugene
Patterson, Alonzo
Postle, Zaddock b\
Preston, Willard
Price, Oliver P.
Raher, John
Rees, Joseph H.
Rees, Egbert
Ridenour, John
Died Aug. 12, 1864, at Fortress
Monroe, Va.
Ridenhour, David
Ross, William H.
Shafer, Lyman
Shiffler, George
Shrum, Russell
Shull, Solomon
Died Aug. 4, 1864, at Fortress
Monroe, Va.
Smith, John W.
Staadt, John
Starrett, Nathaniel
Stelzer, John
Stelzer, Adam
stygler, Leander G.
Suver, Isaac
Walker, Joseph
Washaw, Theodore
Washburn, Riley W.
Webber, Frederick
Wengert, John
Wcstervelt, Howard
Whip, George, Jr.
Wilcox, Lucius
Wilson, William
Wolbert, George
Zane, Corbin
160 —
First Lieutenant,
Robert S. Boyles.
David Gulp,
John Boyles,
COMPANY G.
Captain,
Edward W. Fisher,
Second Lieutenant,
William H. Zarbaugh.
First Sergeant,
Sylvester M. Sherman.
Sergeants,
Corporals,
Russell B. Heller,
Garnett Whitelock,
Henry C. Bennett,
-Peter Redfern,
-Absent, sick at Washington, D. C.
Musician,
Urias Jones,
John McConnell,
Dimmick Harris.
John Morehead,
John H. King,
Joseph Shaaf ,
Robert Edwards.
Alban, John M.
Anderson, Hiram
Augst, John S.
Bachtel, John
Bare, Daniel
Bare, Jones M.
Barley, George
Brown, Franklin
Bryan, Daniel
Bushong, William
Bushong, Isaac
Bultz, Daniel
Cheesman, Welcome
Clark, Charles
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D. C.
Clemens, James C.
Cloud, Robert W.
Cook, George J.
Cooper, Isaac
Cooper, Jacob
Coover, Wilson G.
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D. C.
Cromwell, Richard T.
Davidson, Alfred
Dillnger, Abraham
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D. C.
Downs, Henry
Dutcher, William J.
Edwards, Daniel
Ensminger, Allen A.
Foreman, Daniel
Foreman, Joseph J.
Haines, David
Hart, John
Harbaugh, Joseph
Harkness, Garrett
Harper, Edward
Hickman, Joseph S.
Jones, Zedekiah
Kempher, John
Kesse, Jacob
Wagoner,
Theodore Wareham,
Privates,
Lake, Elijah
Lake, Jesse
Lintner, Casper
Lover, George W.
McKinsie, William
Marcle, Elijah C.
Meyers, Arnold
Miller, John
Miller, William
Moore, John W.
Moorehead, John
Moorehead, William S.
Moorehead, Philip C.
Mosier, Samuel
Overholt, David F.
Perry, Aristus
Petty, Franklin
Poe, Ebenezer W.
Rogers, Elijah F.
Shelley, Daniel
Snare, Joseph
Spangler, Benival
Spangler, Martin
Died Aug. 14, 1864, at Fortress
Monroe, Va.
Stambaugh, Richard
Steen, James
Stoner, Martin O.
Taylor, John W.
Taylor, John
Taylor, Robert
Absent, sick in hospital
Washington, D. C.
Travis, Calvin
Van Side, Isaac
Warner, Daniel
Whight, Eli
Willick, John
Williams, Samuel J.
Wilson, David M.
Wineland, George W.
Died August 13, 1864, on board
steamer at Alexandria, Va.
at
161 —
COMPANY H.
First Lieutenant,
Charles H. Parsons.
Captain,
Samuel W. Williams,
First Sergeant,
Charles H. Decker,
Sergeant^.
Second Lieutenant,
William H. Miller.
Leo. Lesquereux, Jr.,
Alfred Kietson,
Orestes A. B. Senter,
Robert E. Sheldon.
Charles Butler,
Samuel A. Decker,
.Tames Glover,
Mannassa Jones,
Robert Dawson,
Corporals,
Musicians,
Wagoner,
Oris B. Galloway.
Richard H. Levitt,
Henry O'Kane,
Addison G. McKee,
John S. Roberts.
James M. Goss.
Privates,
Allen, Silas
Allison, George
Andrews, William H.
Aspinwall, Sterne F.
Avons, ( 'harles F.
Barnhart, Charles
Bennigmese, George
Bergin, Charles S.
Booth, Howard L.
Booth, Morris
Bright, George W.
Brown, Ruins
Byown, Alexander
Brownson, < >rrin 8.
Brack, Philip
Butler, Nathan
Davis, ( 'harles
Dawson, William
Douglass, Jerry
Emrieh, Henry
Fence, William
Fickel, Robert
Prase, Henry
Harrison, Joseph
Helsel, John
Hennessey, Samuel
Hill. Henry
Howard, William n.
Hubbard,. John H.
Humphries, Benjamin F.
Hume, Wilson
H unl, Edward
lnnis, Henry M.
Jones, William S.
Lewis, William
McKenzie, William
Minor, Edward
Morton, Robert H.
Morrison, Robert
Murray, Theodore
Neville, Morgan
Oldham, James
Pace, John M.
Parks, Samuel
Parsons, Frank R.
Peters, Samuel
Pierce, Stephen
Pickering, Amos J.
Powell, John F.
Rapp, Gregory
Ridgway. William S.
Seibert, Charles
Scott, Henry
shcu'i'v, Charles W.
Stickney, Henry
Thomas, Claudius
Trunnel, Albert
Tuller, John T.
Yolk, John II.
West water, Robert M.
White, ( teorge
Williams, Elijah J.
Wing, Henry W.
Woloott, Horace W.
Wooley, William P.
Wooley, John
16:
COMPANY I.
Henry Plimpton.
Captains,
Benjamin C. Stratton.
First Sergeant,
Lucien G. Thrall.
James A. Stockton.
Sergeants,
-Perry Hodgden, -William H. Paul,
Joseph T. Hays, William H. Underwood.
-Absent, sick in hospital at Washington, D. C.
David Deshler,
Abraham J. Evans,
Albert J. Frankenberg,
John T. Geary,
Henry W. Field,
Corporals,
Musicians,
Charles H. Hathaway,
Alonzo M. Morris,
George Renick,
Benjamin VanHouten.
Samuel Brittingham,
Wagoner,
Thomas W. Bryan,
Privates,
Albright, Jacob
Auther, Thomas
Avery, Sylvester
Died Aug. 12, 1864, at Fortress
Monroe, Va.
Bailey, Thomas
Bancroft, George D.
Beekey, William
Died Aug. 13, 1864, at Washing-
ton, D. C.
Bierley, Andrew
Bortle, Adam
Brown, Elbert C.
Brown, William D.
Brown, John
Coleman, George W.
Davidson, John S.
Wounded June 16, 1864, at
Waugh's Church, near Point
of Rocks.
Dickson, Adelbert
Dunbar, Charles B.
Dunn, John
Eicholds, Zachariah
Ender, John
Erlenbush, Herman
Fell, John
Fisher, Siron
Grate, Gustavus S.
Groff, Thomas F.
Hirshey, John M.
Hikes, John
Absent, sick in hospital ft
Washington, D. C.
Howie, Charles A.
Hymrod, Albert
Jones, Henry E.
Kinnell, Adam
King, John A.
Lawson, Jacob
Lewis, William G.
Lisk, Cornelius
Absent, sick at home.
Looker, Jonathan
Lytle, Nathaniel
Mayes, Charles L.
Mallory, Ogden
Absent, sick in hospital at
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Messerly, Silas
Moccobee, Gazaway
Moll, John R.
Moore, George E.
Montgomery, Edward
Absent, sick in hospital at
Washington, D. C.
Morse, Daniel L.
Morris, Amos V.
Noe, Andrew J.
Neereamer, Otis
Otstot, Daniel
Preston, Milligan A.
Absent, sick.
Renner, Andrew
Ricketts, Charles F.
Roberts, Griffin
Rohrer, Samuel B.
Sager, John
Sells, Basil
Sells, Joseph M.
Seibert, Lewis
Smith, Howard C.
Snyder, Francis T.
Spade, Samuel
Stephens, James
Stewart, Edward K.
Tufts, Cyrus
Absent, sick.
Watt, Henry
Whitacre, John E.
Died July 28, 1864, in hospital at
Fortress Monroe, Va.
Williams, Henry
Williamson, James W.
Williard, Charles D.
— 163 —
COMPANY K.
Captain,
Thomas Lilley.
Died July 24, 186-1, at Bermuda Hundred, Va.
First Lieutenant.
David Roberts.
First Sergeant,
Orrin Mansfield.
Second Lieutenant,
John H. Fearn,
John W. Swisher,
Adam M. Karey,
William S. Hopkins,
Henry Easterday.
William H. Kile,
Thomas Begg,
William C. Gi
Behm, Edward G.
Bradrield, Morris
Byrns, James
Barn ham, Robert
Campbell, Charles
("handier, William
< onrad, Solomon
Coplin, Obediah
Cramer. William
cummins, Edward
< lummins, John
Da Via George
Davidson, James R.
Davidson. Uonstantine
1 uldine, George il.
Donaldson, Jndea w. D.
Egleburger, Albert
Ellis, Jeremiah
Evans, Benjamin W.
Ferguson, Lawrence
Fisher. William
Foreman, Edward R.
Forsythe, William
Gardner, James W.
Gardner, Joseph C.
Goods, Robert w.
GoodSOn, William J.
Goff, Tillman
Hedrick, Levi
Henderson, Abner
Hitler, Ell
JackSOh, Aaron
Kalb, Albert
Kile, Robert A.
Kile, James A.
Sergeants,
Corporals.
Musicians,
Wagoner,
James Sandy,
Ralph Hamner,
John Cox.
John P. Sharp,
Andrew J. Smith,
Thomas J. Harwood,
Charles W. Fairrington.
Edward Hoffman.
Privates,
King, John
Kraner, Andrew 1).
Latimore, Thomas
Lilley, Philip
Lilley, James
Loos, John C.
Lukens, Alfred
Lukens, Harrison
McClish, Henry
Mansfield, George
Mason, Solomon
Morehead, Louis
Noftzger, Christ
Oldham, Samuel
< Mdham, James
Pendleton, James G.
Loan, John
Schranger, John W.
Scott, .John W.
Sharp, John G.
Absent, sick at home.
Shock ley. William
Absent, sick at home.
South, Samuel
Swisher, Erwin T.
Toy, Nathan I".
Townsend, Milby
Townsend, William
Vance, Nathan
White William
Whitsd. Henry
Willie, Robert L.
Winehart. Hiram
Wycuff, William
Yarger, Jacob
ROLL OF HONOR
J33RD REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Names.
Avery, Sylvester
Battels, Peter B .
Beekey. William
Clark, Joseph M .
Daniels, Morris M,
Deyo, Amos . . . .
Drake, John W ,
Drake, William.
Garner, William.
Gilliland, John .
Goldsmith, John
Gray. William E. .
Harris, Samuel . .
Hutches, Jasper N
Jones, Abner F . .
Landon, John D. .
Lilley, Thomas . .
Pinney, John H. .
Ransbottom H'nry
Ridenour, John . .
Roberts, James . .
Shull, Solomon . .
Smith, Charles W.
Spangler, Martin .
Waters, John B . .
Whit acre, John E.
Wineland, Geo. W.
Rank.
iPrivate
Private,
Private.
Major.
Private.
Private
Private,
Private,
Private
Private,
Private,
Corporal
Private.
Private.
Private.
Private.
Captain
Private.
Private.
Private.
Private
Private.
Sergeant
Private.
Private.
Private.
Private.
Died.
Aug. 12, '04
Aug. 12, '64
Aug. 13, '64
Aug. 31, '04
Aug. 16, '64
Aug. 13, '64
July 4, '64
June 8, '64
Aug. 7, '64
Aug. 7, '64
July 18, '64
May 12, '64
June 16, '04
July 20, '64
Aug. 13, '64
Aug. 16, '64
July 24, '64
July 15, '64
July 30, '64
Aug. 12, '64
Aug. 15, '04
Aug. 4, '64
Aug. 4, '64
Aug. 14, '64
Aug. 10, '04
July 28, '04
Aug. 13, '61
Buried.
Hampton,
Hampton,
Arlington,
Columbus,
Arlington
Baltimore
Hampton, Va.
Petersb'rg, Va
Petersb'rg, Va
Petersb'rg, Va
Hampton, Va.
Hampton, Va.
Arlington, Va
Hampton, Va.
Hampton, Va.
Hampton, Va.
Hampton-, Va.
Hampton, Va
Arlington, Va
Remarks.
Died at Fortress Monroe,
Va. Interred in sect'n
— , row—, grave 44.
Died at Fortress Monroe,
Va. Interred in sect'n
D, row 28, grave L8.
Died at Washington, D.C.
Died at Fortress Monroe,
interred at Greenlawn
< • metery.
Died at Washington, D.C.
Interred in Louden Park
( lemetery.
Died at New Creek, W.
Va.
Died at New Creek, W.
Va.
Died at Fortress Monroe,
Va. Interred in sec'n
D, row 24, grave 21.
Died at Bermuda Hun-
dred, Va. Interred in
Poplar Grove Cem'try.
Died of ae'dent'l wo'nds.
Died at New Creek, W.
Va.
Died at Bermuda Hun-
dred, Va. Interred in
Poplar Grove Cem'try.
Died on steamer United
St;i • ■
Died at Smith v'le, Fr'k-
lin County, O.
Died at Bermuda Hun-
dred, Va. Interred In
Poplar Grove Cem'try.
Died at Fort Powhatan,
Va.
Died at Fortress Monroe,
Va. Interred in sec'n
1 1, row L'2, grave 10.
Died at Fortress Monroe,
Va.
Died atWashington, D.C.
Died al Portress Monroe,
Va. Interred in sec'n
F, n»w 1 1. grave 51.
Died at Fortress Monroe,
Va. Interred i'
F. row i."), grave
Died at Fortress Monroe,
Va
Died at Fortress Monroe,
Va. Interred In
F, row 18, grave 41.
Died at Fortress Monroe,
Died at Alexandria, Va.
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